


The Perfect Mate

by BelladonnaVeilsin



Series: Bathing in Love [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Mainly Natsu and Gray, Mating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-09-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:08:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,381
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25981870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelladonnaVeilsin/pseuds/BelladonnaVeilsin
Summary: When Natsu and Gray return, Mated, they cause quite the stir.  And even once that settles down, Gajeel has his own Mating issues.  Lucy helps Juvia get over Gray, and something else starts to grow.But the biggest concern is what is happening to the boys.  Something unusual develops with their Mating, something strange.  They quickly find that something that isn't supposed to exist, does.  And there is value in the rare, a fact of life that will become all too important."I mean, storms come from hot and cold air meeting.  Are you saying they make a perfect storm?"
Relationships: Levy McGarden/Gajeel Redfox, Lucy Heartfilia/Juvia Lockser, Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Series: Bathing in Love [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885552
Comments: 16
Kudos: 147





	1. Dramatic Return

**Author's Note:**

> Kay, sequel to In Hot Water. To be honest, the updates will probably take longer, and this won’t be quite as fluffy. But, really, that’s just life. It isn’t Happily Ever After when you stroll off into the sunset. The sun rises the next day and you have to keep on living. So I do have some plot planned with major feels. Though primarily Natsu/Gray, I’m also focusing on Gajeel/Levy in this one, because it’s adorable, so that will be a decent helping of fluff.
> 
> Lucy/Juvia will be on the periphery of the story. The Juvia/Lucy scene started out friendly with slight hints of a ship, and then I went back because my brain latched onto the idea and had to expand it. XD I actually never shipped them before I wrote that scene.
> 
> Also, I’ll probably either have flashbacks or just a whole flashback chapter about when they first Mated. Probably. I don’t make any promise I’m not sure I can keep.
> 
> I realized I didn’t specify timeline for the last one, but all this takes place after the Tower of Heaven incident, but before Laxus starts his bullshit shenanigans. I’ve actually only gotten as far as Netflix has; I’m gonna read the manga after I read Shugo Chara again.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “And are you going to sleep in my bed with me, or do you need to take the couch? Because you’ve been inside me multiple times every night since we’ve Mated, and I’m not looking to traumatize Happy.”

It wasn’t immediately clear to everyone what had happened when the boys walked into the guild hall a week later. They’d taken longer on the way back after they finished the job, newly-Mated pair and all, and it showed. Both were disheveled and scratched (they’d gotten carried away on their way back into town) and the most prominent “injury” was the clear bite mark on Gray’s shoulder.

The Ice Mage had, of course, lost his shirt somewhere, and everyone could see it. “Did Natsu bite you, Gray? He hasn’t done that since you were really little.” Macao eyed the scar.

Face warm but wearing a satisfied smile, Gray said, “Yeah, he definitely bit me.”

“Real men don’t bite,” Elfman said.

On cue, Natsu sank his teeth into the mark, eyes full of challenge as he slid his arms around the dark-haired man’s waist. When he relinquished his bite he said, “Gray is my Mate, and I’ll kill anyone who tries to take him from me.”

There were different reactions to that announcement. Their closest friends cheered, Gray saw Gajeel smirk from where he was leaning against a pillar, there was some reflexive teasing, and an understandable amount of shock.

The most noticeable reaction was, of course, from Juvia. She materialized from the crowd to get into Natsu’s face. “Gray is mine!” Oh, crap.

Gray was released as Natsu stepped in front of his Mate to growl at the challenger, flames already beginning to lick up his tense frame. The Ice Mage reversed their previous position, arms around the Dragonslayer’s waist, noticeably not burned at all by the fire, and his face on his shoulder. “Calm down, you undergrown lizard. I’m yours; you don’t need to fight.”

Surprising everyone (except Gray and Natsu), Gajeel stepped in front of the Rain Woman. “Let it go, Juv. Seriously, he’ll kill you before he lets you touch his Mate. It’s over.” There was a surprising amount of tenderness, despite the firm words. Apparently it was more than just old guildmates between them. It was how Juvia made it sound when she helped the Metal Dragonslayer get into the guild. But it sounded like they were friends.

This seemed likely from look of betrayal as Juvia asked, “You support this?!” The whole guild could hear a storm growing outside.

“I made sure it didn’t take years for the morons to figure it out. It’s been insufferable to watch since I joined.” He looked at everyone. “Are you saying nobody noticed?”

Erza, Mira, Makarov, Lucy, Happy, and, surprisingly, Reedus raised their hands. “So you aren’t all blind; good to know.”

The Rain Woman just pushed past all of them, crying as lightning crashed and thunder roared. Lucy made her way through the crowd, stopping to give both Gray and Natsu a kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, guys. I’m glad you finally got it.” Then she headed out into the storm after her friend.

(-)

Lucy found the Rain Woman sprawled on the grass near a river, her body seeming to melt in the rain as little rivulets ran down into the flowing water. “Juvia!” she shouted over the storm. She’d known this would hit hard, but her friend was literally coming apart.

She sat down next to the crying puddle of a woman and gently splashed her hand onto Juvia’s watery one. “It’s okay to be sad, Juvia. Gray was your first love. But just because he was the first guy to see through the rain doesn’t mean he’ll be the last one. Especially since you’ve joined us, you’ve grown so much. You aren’t gloomy, you aren’t cold. You laugh with us. You can stare up at the clear blue sky.” She squeezed the rapidly solidifying hand in her own. “You aren’t alone like you used to be. And someone is going to come along and instantly fall in love with your smile. So it’s okay to be sad, as long as you don’t stay sad.”

And suddenly Juvia was as much a solid person as she could be, hugging Lucy and crying on her shoulder. The Celestial Mage smiled and held her tight. “You’re beautiful, Juvia, and so many people can see it.” The storm had calmed to a gentle rain. “Don’t give up. After all, you still have Gray’s friendship. And you definitely have me.”

“Thank you, Lucy,” Juvia whispered.

“What are friends for?”

“I’d never really known before I met all of you.”

“Well, I’ll tell you one thing: girlfriends are for bringing ice cream and cheering you up. I have to go back to the guild hall and clear some things up, but do you want me to come to your place tonight? What’s your favorite flavor?”

“Starberry.” The Rain Woman pulled away to meet the Celestial Mage’s eyes.

Lucy grinned. “Really? Mine too! Awesome, we’re gonna have a great time tonight. I’ll bring a deck of cards and some other stuff in case we need distracting.”

“Would you…would you bring your novel?”

“Uh, I promised Levy first crack at my novel when I finished, but I wrote a short story recently you can be the first to read.”

Looking at the smile on Juvia’s face from hearing that, Lucy couldn’t call it anything other than radiant. “I’d like that.”

The Celestial Mage’s heart beat a little faster at seeing that expression just from the chance to read her work. “I’ll come over once I’ve finished at the guild. Will you be okay until then?”

Nodding, Juvia said, “Thanks to you I’ll be fine. I’m still sad, but I won’t stay sad. Of course, when the skies clear they’ll be full of stars, not sunshine.”

“I like stars, so it’s okay if it takes you that long to cheer up. We could even go stargazing if you want.”

“You’re a wonderful friend, Lucy.”

Face a little warm at the ardent admiration in that tone, Lucy just nodded. “Now that you won’t be calling me a ‘Love Rival’, we can be even better friends. When you look back someday, you’ll see today was the start of something great.”

“I already do.”

(-)

“You get to keep me forever, Natsu; you don’t have to be mean when she just had her heart broken,” Gray scolded softly. After their dramatic entrance, he’d pulled Natsu to a table off to the side, their chairs next to each other as the Dragonslayer nuzzled into him to reassure himself. He had been pleased that the worst of the storm had cleared pretty quickly. Lucy was an awesome friend.

“ _No one_ gets to call you theirs. You’re _mine_.” It was a growl as he held his Mate closer. Mated or not, he still wouldn’t tolerate any threats to his claim.

Gray sighed. “She’s going to get over me, and we’re going to be friends, so I don’t want you holding a grudge. _No one_ is going to take me from you, so try not to worry about it.” He knew Natsu couldn’t help it, that it was instinct (and he had gotten a heaping helping of Mating instincts over the past week, mostly fun ones), but the poor girl hadn’t been able to make friends her whole life, let alone have a crush on someone who tried to understand her. She shouldn’t lose a friend (or two, depending where Natsu stood in the first place) just because he and Natsu were made for each other.

“Hey, Ice Princess, you know I’m never standing down when it comes to you. Never.”

Rather than the normal slew of insults, Natsu had taken to mostly calling him “Ice Princess” or just “Princess”, and it felt more like a term of endearment really. And despite being a man (loving having Natsu inside him did nothing to diminish his masculinity), he kind of liked it. Maybe it was that the Dragonslayer had been using that as an insult since they met, but something about it felt right. _That_ was a little embarrassing.

“Can I come over, or is this ‘Mate-time’?” Happy asked, sounding sullen.

Natsu immediately perked up and opened his arms, expecting his buddy to dive in after so much time apart. “There’s always time for you, Happy.”

The cat just landed on the table, arms crossed. The Dragonslayer frowned. He thought Happy would be glad to have him home. “What’s up, buddy?”

He heard her footsteps and smelled her water-weakened scent before Lucy said, “He’s feeling a bit neglected since you just dropped him with me and left for a week with no explanation.” She sat across from them, soaked. “To be honest, I’m kind of hurt too. You were clearly having some relationship drama that you obviously resolved, but for a week we didn’t know what to think.”

Glancing at his Mate, he saw similar guilt that they hadn’t considered that. Then a stern voice behind them said, “Yes, it was very inconsiderate to your teammates to run off like that, job or no.”

Both boys stiffened but felt no wrathful aura. When metal arms wrapped around both of them to bonk their heads into a hard chestplate, the affectionate head trauma was actually a relief. “I’m glad you’re finally together though. After all these years.”

“Hey!” Natsu scrambled from her grasp. “You’re saying you saw this years ago?!”

Erza smiled warmly. “Both of you were exactly the kind of little boy to pick on your crush rather than try to actually pursue them. Even when you grew up, you were clearly obsessed with each other for more reasons than rivalry. But saying anything would have been counterproductive, given how stubborn you both are.”

Lucy giggled. “Yeah, when I first met you, and especially when we started teaming up, I got that sense too. I only made up my mind for sure when that bath business started.”

Happy just made a, “Hmph!” and said nothing else.

The Celestial Mage ran her hand through the cat’s fur. “He’s just upset he didn’t see it until you hit that crisis point right before you left.”

Natsu snatched the cat up from the table and drew him into a hug. “I missed you, buddy.”

The little cat squirmed, half-heartedly trying to escape. “I’m suuuure. A week playing with Gray and making him your Mate; you sure missed me.”

“I did! We were even thinking about you when we saw that house for rent-”

“Wait, you’re moving in together already?!” Lucy asked.

“Forever starts now,” Gray said with a shrug. “Not like I’m going to move in with Natsu and Happy, and my house isn’t really big enough for all of us to be comfortable. We thought a place where Happy could have his own room would be best.”

“My own room?!” Happy instantly perked up.

“Yeah. Not sure how pleased you’ll be, Luc, but there’s a house a few doors down from yours that’s available. We saw it on our way back to the guild; it looked perfect,” Natsu said.

Lucy exhaled in a soft snort. “That depends on a few things, the first being: how loud are you guys?”

The Mates exchanged a look that was part embarrassment, part pleased pride. “Uh, we thought we’d get some sound-proofing wards for Happy’s room,” Natsu said.

“That loud? Well just get some for _your_ room if you’re gonna be in my neighborhood. And I suppose I’ll have to resign myself to more intrusions, but could you use the door like normal people instead of my windows and chimney?!”

Gray laughed. “Your chimney was a little uncomfortable.”

“Probably because they aren’t made for people! And you got soot all over my floor! I swear, you boys are impossible.” Lucy was smiling as she said it, though.

“We could crawl in their windows,” Erza suggested as she sat down next to Lucy. “For revenge.”

“Yeaaaaah, that would be much more dangerous at their house. I’m afraid I’d get an earful. Or fall. I’m not a preternatural weirdo like them. My magic doesn’t apply to chimneys or breaking and entering.”

“So, what do you say, buddy? Wanna go look at that house with us tomorrow?” Natsu asked.

“Yeah! My own room…” Happy looked positively enchanted by the idea. Clearly all was forgiven about abandoning him.

“Well, I’m going to head to Juvia’s. We’re having a girl’s night.” Lucy stood up.

Erza looked interested. “Could I join you? I’ve never been to a ‘girl’s night’ before.”

Lucy winced and glanced at Gray. “This is more of a broken-hearted girl’s night. But we can have a better one later. We can invite Levy too. It’ll be a lot more fun and cheerful then.”

At the mention of her name, Gray’s eyes slid over to Gajeel. He was sitting at a table alone on the opposite side of the hall, and their gazes met. The Metal Dragonslayer had been listening.

Absently responding to Lucy’s goodbye, Gray got up. A hot hand on his bicep stopped him. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I’m going to talk to Gajeel. And before you get all upset, I’ll remind you that he’s the reason we’re Mates instead of me drinking and moping and you doing God knows what stupid shit and probably getting yourself killed. He’s not looking to steal me.” When Natsu still gave him a stubborn frown, Gray sighed and kissed his Mate. Then he nipped at his earlobe and added, “And we both know you’ll be jealously listening to every word anyway.”

The hand let go and he went to sit across from Gajeel. As he opened his mouth to speak, the Metal Dragonslayer cut him off. “Let’s get one thing clear. This conversation is between you and me.”

Gray frowned. While he didn’t expect him to invite Natsu over, he figured Gajeel would eventually want to talk Mates and Mating instinct with the only other guy around who would understand. “But you realize he-”

“-is listening to us right now like a nosy creep? Yeah, I know. That’s why I’m saying this. He can listen, but he doesn’t get to say shit about it to anyone.” They both turned to look across the hall. Natsu scowled at them from his conversation with Erza and Happy but nodded.

“Made a move on Levy yet?” Gray saw no reason not to cut to the chase after that exchange.

It was entertaining to see the big strong Dragonslayer blush. They both had one eye on Natsu’s reaction. The Fire Dragonslayer’s jaw dropped open rather comically.

“No. And that’s not really what I want to talk about right now.”

The Ice Mage shrugged. “Okay. Another thing I’m wondering, how do you seem to know more about Mating than Natsu? He has the instincts, but you seem to have actual knowledge.”

Gajeel snorted. “Pipsqueak was obviously too young to get the ‘Dragons and the Bees’ talk before Igneel left. Metalicana told me about Mating.”

“So Big Brother Gajeel helps Little Brother Natsu figure things out. It’s sweet.” Gray couldn’t help himself.

And the disarmed look of embarrassed pleasure was astounding. Especially when they first encountered the Metal Dragonslayer, Gray would have said with certainty that nothing he did, said, or was would ever be considered cute, but damn if he wasn’t wrong. Gajeel seemed to like that idea: being Natsu’s big brother.

It didn’t take long for him to recover. “As if! That little moron was just about to do something to make himself too stupid to live, and then who am I gonna fight? You? Not likely.”

Gray took the insult in stride, far more interested in saying, “So you respect his strength above all others? Sibling rivalry is intense.”

He wasn’t ready to be half-dragged across the table. “You and that little pink weakling deserve each other.”

Then Gajeel was gone, leaving Gray to say, “You say the nicest things!” at his retreating back. He knew he shouldn’t tease him like that, but finding chinks in that armor and glimpsing the real person underneath was rewarding.

Natsu was on him moments later. “I’ll kill him! Are you hurt? God, you smell like his filthy metal hands now!”

“I’ll take a shower,” Gray said dismissively, “and I’m fine. Are you and Happy coming to my place until we find a new one?”

The Dragonslayer looked like he wanted to argue, but said, “Yeah, it’s nicer than ours.”

Now a sly grin stole over the Ice Mage’s face. “And are you going to sleep in my bed with me, or do you need to take the couch? Because you’ve been inside me multiple times every night since we’ve Mated, and I’m not looking to traumatize Happy.”

Suddenly a look of horror washed over Natsu. “Maybe Lucy could take him!”

“She’s with Juvia. No, Natsu Dragneel, you’re just going to have to control yourself around me.” It wasn’t like Gray wouldn’t be struggling as well, but he didn’t have the instinctive urges Natsu had to deal with. When the Dragonslayer looked like he’d just been given a death sentence, his Mate sighed. “Look, it’s just one night. I think we can do one night of non-physically loving each other.” He pulled his Mate into a kiss. When they parted, he said, “Because I love you. Even if I could never touch you again, that wouldn’t change.”

His Mate was right. When it was put that way, it was a little bit easier to fight his instincts. Still… “We are finding a new place tomorrow. And we are warding the fuck out of our room.”

Gray laughed. “Agreed. And I have an idea on the best way to test the new wards.” His voice went down a few octaves before he said, “I think you’ll really like it.”

Natsu growled and tugged at his own hair. “Don’t say shit like that if you want me to keep my hands off you!”

The Ice Mage felt a little guilty, but he still couldn’t help but chuckle. “Okay, you’re right; my bad.”

“I hate to interrupt this…interesting conversation, but I think someone needs to go home.” Erza appeared with Happy curled up in her arms. “He hasn’t slept well this past week. I think he can finally relax now that you’re home safe.”

Face softening, Natsu took the cat into his own arms, smiling when Happy started purring. Natsu gently stroked the cat’s head, enjoying the slight motions and noises of pleasure.

“Maybe you should spend one last night together at your place. I’ve been selfishly hogging you for over a week, if we consider all the baths. A relaxing night with Happy might be just what you need. I’ll be fine.” Although Gray knew sleeping in his empty house would feel lonelier than it ever had before. But it was like he told Natsu: it was just one night. He gave his Mate a soft, lingering kiss and left before he could change his mind. Natsu wasn’t the only one with needs and urges.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hopefully this was to your liking. Like I said earlier, I’m only up to what’s happened in Netflix, but I’ve gotten in on some spoilers via fanfiction. And, when I looked up Gajeel’s dragon’s name to make sure I was spelling it right, it said that he forgot his time with him or something. But, in this fic, he got the “Dragons and the Bees” speech, because someone needs to have a fucking clue what’s going to happen.
> 
> Hope none of this is OOC, or at least not dramatically so. With Gray and Natsu Mated, they’re a lot more easy-going and happy. Gajeel is just plain fun to write like this, so I hope you like him. Big bad-ass metal man getting flustered and embarrassed is too cute!
> 
> I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially my reviewers from In Hot Water; you’ve been with me longest, so I really value your opinions. Review or not, I hope this made you happy!


	2. Moving In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Why on Earth would I need a moat when I have my very own fire-breathing dragon? Nothing better than that when it comes to protection.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has a minor deluge of fluff, plus a bit of domestic feels. It actually has a lot of the romance and minor angst with misunderstandings that marked In Hot Water, so hopefully this will please you greatly.
> 
> Also our first hint of smut.
> 
> Also some Gajeel feels, who knew? XP

We’ll take it.” It hadn’t taken more than a glance between them before they said it in unison.

The landlady recoiled a little in surprise. Maybe that had somehow been creepy. She was a slender figure, blond hair pulled tight in a high bun and wearing a floor-length grey dress that had a high collar to cover her neck and long sleeves with gloves underneath. Given the plain nature of the dress, Gray thought she looked like some stern governess, but she was friendly enough.

Case in point, she recovered quickly, smiled and said, “That’s wonderful. It will be nice to have more guild members in the neighborhood; makes us feel safe.” Since Gray had lost his shirt somewhere in the tour, both their guild marks were showing. “There is, of course, the matter of the security deposit, though. You understand.”

It was a well-accepted fact that Fairy Tail guild members had higher security deposits than regular citizens. Given the havoc they tended to wreak and property damage they caused, no one could say it wasn’t fair. When it first started years ago and the guild members complained, the landlords and property owners of the city made a list of incidents and their repair costs. It settled things quickly.

“We understand,” Gray said. “We have enough to cover it.”

The landlady was eyeing his Mate. “You are Salamander, correct? The guild’s Fire Dragonslayer?”

The Ice Mage internally groaned. Natsu’s reputation as one of the most destructive members of the guild was well-established. He hoped she wouldn’t ask for more based on that; he could scarcely argue that his Mate wasn’t a potential hazard to any and all structures in his range. “That’s him. But if there’s a fire in the neighborhood, he’s a great guy to have on hand; he can just eat it. And he’s better behaved at home than he is on jobs.”

“Hey, I can speak for myself, Princess.” That challenging tone meant Natsu felt like fighting. They hadn’t done nearly enough of it the past week.

And it was a reflexive response: “Really? Because you’ve always seemed kinda dumb to me.”

“Like a stupid snowman can talk!” Despite their words, they were both starting to smile. They’d missed this.

Clearing her throat to get their attention, the landlady said, “I hope I won’t be getting reports of domestic disturbance calls for this residence.”

“Not at all,” Natsu said. Those were for couples who only hurt each other in anger or for control. He and his Mate always squared off at similar (equal) levels of strength for pleasure. “We’re Mates, so we show our love differently. And we’ll get soundproofing wards for our room so you don’t get other disturbance calls either.”

Gray facepalmed as he turned bright red. Trying not to address that statement, he said, “And our guild has conditioned us to take our fighting outside so we don’t do structural damage. It won’t be a problem.”

She eyed Gray’s mark as she said, “Mates?”

“We’re essentially married,” Gray said. He felt teeth sink into his mark and sighed.

“Gray is mine. I’ll kill anyone who tries to take him from me.” Everyone needed to know. Especially since most people wouldn’t recognize and understand his mark on Gray.

“Natsu, when you say that in that tone of voice, you sound like a jealous little kid with his favorite toy.” This had happened a few times in their travels already, and he was getting used to it. Didn’t mean he liked it. No one wanted to take Gray from Natsu; it wasn’t like he was some hot stud in high demand. He was a weird guy with a low body temperature and a habit of losing his clothes without realizing it. Not a lot of competition for him, especially now that Juvia was shut down.

He pressed his face into his Mate’s neck, breathing in his scent deeply to calm himself. “You’re not my toy; you’re my everything. And if someone took you, I would hunt them down until I had you back, and I’d make them regret even thinking about touching you.”

“You’re going to make our new landlady think you’re a homicidal maniac.” Giving this impression to random strangers was mostly acceptable, or at least unavoidable at this point. If they wanted to live in this house, they needed to at least _appear_ stable.

The landlady just laughed. “Not at all. It’s sweet. Intense, but sweet. You’re an adorable couple.”

“Thanks,” Gray said. “Any chance we can move in today?”

Before she could reply, Natsu said, “Where did Happy go?”

“He was rolling around on the floor of his room.” His childish enthusiasm was cute, if a little overboard.

Natsu shook his head and turned it around on a tilt, listening. “He isn’t in there anymore.”

The landlady was giving him an odd look. “He has good ears,” Gray explained.

The Dragonslayer started sniffing and went down the stairs. “Good nose too?” she asked.

“Just about the best.”

They followed, and when they were at the bottom, the cat flew out from under the sofa saying, “Bwahahaha!”

The only one startled was the landlady, who let out a yelp and took a step back, hand on her heart. The Mates were unaffected, aside from Natsu smirking and Gray looking unamused. “Happy, you scared her.”

Happy flew around in circles. “But this place is _so_ cooooool! There’s so much stuff I could win at hide and seek for the rest of my life!”

“Not against me,” Natsu said smugly.

Pausing his maneuvers long enough to stick out his tongue, Happy said, “You cheat.”

The house being pre-furnished was a big bonus, since Gray’s house was the same and he’d leave all his furniture behind. Unable to sleep the night before, he’d packed most of his belongings already. His kitchenware was the first thing he packed; now that he had a Dragonslayer and gluttonous feline to feed, he might even need to upgrade. But if Natsu ever dared to call him “wifey” he’d be catching and cooking his own dinner outdoors for a week.

“Okay, first and last month’s rent, plus guild-rate security deposit.” Gray pulled out his wallet. He had more saved up, so he was covering the initial expenses. But since they would be a combined income from now on, it wasn’t anything he was worried about keeping track of. Although he’d need to keep a careful eye on their food budget. The Fire Dragonslayer and his cat were well-known for needing to take a job because they’d spent all their money on food and needed more money for food. He’d have to work on making Natsu aware of what a budget even was.

After handing her the money, Gray put away his wallet and slid an arm around the Dragonslayer’s waist. He’d landed himself an irresponsible and troublesome Mate, but he loved him and wouldn’t trade him for anything. “You’re a pain and I love you.”

Natsu snorted. “Where did that come from?”

“Just thinking how on earth I’m going to feed you,” Gray said. “Especially since I’m cooking, I think I need to do the food shopping too.”

The Dragonslayer pouted at that. Sure, he wasn’t great with money, especially when it came to food, but…okay, he was lucky he had a Mate with more sense than him when it came to that stuff. It was a pain to do a job while starving because there suddenly wasn’t money for food. “I love you too. But I’m not a bad provider! Just…”

“A bad budgeter. Don’t worry, I knew that when I got myself into this mess.” Gray grinned and nuzzled into Natsu’s neck. He didn’t have his Mate’s sense of smell, but he liked how it gave Natsu goosebumps. If the landlady and Happy weren’t right there, he’d start nibbling too. It really got his Mate going.

“Well, I’ll let you boys start settling in. And you intend to ward the house?” The landlady passed Gray a set of keys.

“Nothing permanent or damaging. Mainly our bedroom.”

“I know of a good smith, if you’d like his address.” She was already pulling a pen and piece of paper from her purse.

While Wardsmiths were magic-users, most didn’t have the kind of talent or proficiency to be considered a full mage. They were more like artisans and craftsman for hire. Fairy Tail had some very talented ones, good enough that they _were_ full mages, but Gray wasn’t going to ask them to soundproof their bedroom because he and Natsu tended to get loud during sex.

“My name is Ryo, by the way. Let me know if you need anything or have any questions; I live next door.” And with a “goodbye” their landlady left.

Gray took a small nibble of his Mate’s neck, loving how he was instantly wrapped in those warm arms and pulled in close. Another nibble on an earlobe and he said, “How about I start getting my stuff moved over and you go get that smith over here? We need both the kitchen and bedroom up and running by tonight, don’t you think?”

A firmer bite on his jugular, and his Mate growled. “I want to hear about this great way to test the new wards.”

“You don’t want to hear until they’re ready to be tested. I know you won’t be feeling patient.” The Ice Mage smirked. “You’re not even patient now.” Because Natsu was pressing firmly against his thigh.

“I’m right here, guys. I can hear you,” Happy said, suddenly hovering in the air beside them.

The Dragonslayer snorted and pressed his face to his Mate’s shoulder to stifle his laughter. When he calmed he said, “Sorry, buddy, but you might have to get used to it. We’ll try to tone it down, but no promises.”

“Natsu and Gray are puuuuurverts,” Happy teased.

“Hey!” the Ice Mage protested. “We are very happily newly-Mated; of course we can’t keep our hands off each other.” Although he had some questions for Gajeel about that too, and he wasn’t going to ask them in the middle of the guild hall, and maybe not when Natsu could hear either. He supposed he’d have to invite the Metal Dragonslayer over when Natsu was out. That would be great to explain when his Mate got home, though: their house smelling like a rival Dragonslayer. Yup, that was gonna be fun. Although if Natsu jealously decided to reassert his claim in a physical manner, it might actually be enjoyable.

“Alright, after I get back, you guys can go pack,” Gray said, turning to leave.

“We’re packed,” Natsu said.

“Yeah, when I woke up to Natsu sobbing-”

Gray’s stomach lurched as he turned around and saw the Dragonslayer’s hand over the cat’s mouth. “What?”

“Nothing. I just missed you a little, that’s all.” There was a forced nonchalance in that tone.

Happy wrestled his mouth free. “You were hysterical!”

“That isn’t missing me ‘a little’, Natsu…” Gray had been lonely and depressed, sure, but he thought that Happy would help Natsu feel less so. And then they didn’t have to worry about losing control. The Ice Mage had a sinking feeling that his logic and actions led to this. This was his fault.

“I was fine.” A gaping tear opened up inside him that nothing but Gray could fill, but he was strong. He handled it. His heart was just bleeding all night and into the morning.

It hadn’t struck him as odd when Natsu did the dramatic run-and-hug that morning, followed by copious amounts of nuzzling. Gray had felt a little like doing it himself. But apparently there was more desperation behind the action than he realized. The Ice Mage took a few quick strides and wrapped himself around his Mate. “Don’t do that. If it’s not okay, if you need me, you need to _tell_ me. I can’t read your mind. _I_ was the one who suggested we sleep apart; _I_ was the one who left in a hurry before I was tempted to stay. But I never would have if you’d said you couldn’t handle it.”

“But I did handle it!” Natsu protested. It was a bit muffled by nuzzling, which made it lose some of its convincingness, but he tried to sound sincere.

“Sobbing hysterically is not handling it. It’s me neglecting you. I don’t want that. I want to be the best Mate.” He tugged Natsu’s hair to get access to his mouth. A soft but insistent kiss later, he said, “You’re the most important person to me. I never want you to feel anything to make you doubt that.”

“You’re the perfect Mate,” Natsu said, rubbing their noses together.

“Not when I’m letting stuff like this happen. I fucked up.” The Ice Mage needed to have that talk with the Metal Dragonslayer sooner rather than later. Maybe he could get the boys to go fishing for dinner.

Natsu let out a soft whimper. “Please don’t be mad.” There were tears gathering in his eyes.

“I’m not mad at you, you undergrown lizard. I’m mad at myself. You deserve better.” Gray gently pressed to release the tears and wipe them away. “Please don’t cry anymore. I’ll do better.”

“You’re perfect,” Natsu insisted. And he always had, right since the beginning.

Gray knew they could argue the point until they died of old age. “Well, you’re okay with being apart this long, right? If not you can help me move and we can wait for the Wardsmith together. I definitely wouldn’t mind more time with you.”

“It’s quicker if we do them at the same time. I’ll be fine. I just need you tonight.”

Natsu sounded more stable as he said it, but Gray looked at Happy. “If he’s lying, you’ll sniff me out and tell me, right? I don’t care where or when, if he gets like that, you come find me, okay, Happy?”

The cat nodded. “Yes. No more crying Natsu. I agree.”

“You make me sound like a baby…” Natsu scowled.

The Ice Mage held his Mate tighter. “Never. But you have needs, just like anyone. And because of your instincts, they hit you harder. As your Mate, I’ll meet those needs.” Because Natsu had taken care of him when he was sick, and especially after they Mated, Gray got more insight into that urge to care for his Mate. It was like he got infected with some of Natsu’s instincts or something.

Gray pulled away and met those dark eyes with a smirk. “So get those wards up, because you have some needs that need to be met tonight, don’t you?”

Natsu’s pupils blew wide as he nodded. Then he devoured his Mate briefly before pushing him away. “Get moving before I change my mind and I decide I _want_ everyone to hear us. Right here, right now.”

Moving to the door, the Ice Mage heard Happy say, “You guys are gross.”

He couldn’t help but laugh at that, though he did feel bad. Especially since they were newly-Mated (at least he assumed that was why), he and Natsu had a tendency to get wrapped up in each other with little regard for what the others around them would hear or see. Gray never thought he’d be the kind of guy to kiss in public, let alone make out, talk dirty, and occasionally grope.

His Mate didn’t want to abandon him! Even as he watched that pale back walk away, Natsu felt comforted. Last night had been…horrible. He hadn’t realized until he got home with Happy how important it was to have Gray with him. Sure, during the day they would split up for a while, but the prospect of a whole night without his Mate immediately tore at him.

“I told you we should have found him last night. Bet he was sad and lonely too,” Happy said. And, yes, the cat had offered to stay at Gray’s house after Natsu woke him up, but he thought his Mate wanted time apart. The Dragonslayer worried that maybe he was smothering the Ice Mage.

“Yeah, you were right.” It took a few moments to realize that Gray had taken all the keys with him. Crap. “And now I have a job for you.”

“What kind of job?”

“I need you to watch the house since I can’t lock it.” It was the best solution, and it shouldn’t take him long to get the Wardsmith over.

“Why do I have to do it?” Happy demanded.

Natsu knew the cat didn’t actually care if he did it; he was just contrary and cranky since he hadn’t slept. And since it was Natsu’s fault, he couldn’t really get angry with him. “Because I need you to find all the best places to lie in wait and defend us in case of an intruder in the future. And you’re the only one I trust with that job.”

Now Happy perked up. “Yes! I am the best at that!” He dove back under the sofa, then came flying out and up to lay flat on top of a bookcase. “I’ll find the best places!”

“Knew I could count on you, buddy. I’ll be back soon.” Even if Happy was busy playing Hide and Seek with himself, he’d keep an eye on the place so no strangers came in. Now to get the Wardsmith. Because he _really_ wanted to find out what his Mate had planned for him that night.

(-)

Gray rented a cart and piled his belongings on until he had to be careful not to let it fall. It might be cheaper to take it in a few trips, but especially after hearing about Natsu’s night, it was worth the expense to get back to his Mate quickly.

But when he saw Gajeel, it was worth taking the time to talk. He waved the Metal Dragonslayer over. “Hey. I was hoping to talk about some things outside the guild hall. I don’t have a lot of time, but I’ve already fucked up once and could use some advice.”

A scowl made the Ice Mage feel he was dealing with Big Brother Gajeel. “What did you do?”

After a brief explanation of his mistake, Gajeel snorted. “Considerate of the cat, but not your Mate. Don’t do shit like that. Until he feels okay with it, you can’t spend the night apart. And don’t just listen if he says he’s okay; he’s obviously trying to be a good Mate and put your needs first. You have to make sure he’s actually okay. Your bond is still new, so he isn’t entirely secure yet. It’s why he keeps biting you and announcing that he’ll kill anyone who tries to take you.”

“You mean he won’t do that forever? Thank God.” Gray sighed in relief. He’d resigned himself to the extremely awkward and hostile way to introduce them as a couple, but knowing it was a short-term situation made him feel much better about it.

“Newly-Mated means your bond isn’t solid yet. It’s still malleable. The pipsqueak can sense it isn’t as strong as it should be, and he’s making sure to guard you until it is.” Gajeel gave him an impatient glare. “If you’re making him wait, you better ask your questions quick.”

Wow, he really was protective of Natsu. It made the Ice Mage feel warm and fuzzy inside, knowing his Mate had other zealous protectors. “Maybe you could come by our new place later? I know you’ve been to one party at Lucy’s even if you mostly skulked alone in a corner. We’re two doors down. Your nose won’t have any trouble finding us anyway.”

“Maybe. We’ll see. Get moving. I’d offer to help pull your cart, but you deserve to struggle.” And the Metal Dragonslayer walked away. It was amazing how quickly he’d taken to his big brother role. But, thinking about it, maybe not. All the Dragonslayers were raised by dragons and, from what he gathered from Natsu and Gajeel’s situations, they were all abandoned. Natsu had a whole guild’s worth of family, but Gajeel didn’t have anyone. It would make sense that his instincts would latch onto Natsu first when looking for family.

Getting his full-body work-out for the day, Gray finally got to their house. Gathering up as much as he could possibly carry, he went up to the door. He scarcely had time to feel stupid for not opening the door in advance when it opened as soon as he approached.

“Hey! You’re back.” Natsu took a box of kitchenware and a bag of groceries to put in the kitchen. “I was up with the Wardsmith, but then I smelled you coming.”

Gray set down the rest of his burdens and said, “You go back to him while I put the contents of my old fridge into our new fridge before it all goes bad.”

That pink head shook in a firm negative. “It’ll be quicker if we both get your stuff inside the house, that way we don’t have to keep an eye on it.”

When everything was inside, Natsu said, “Geez, Princess, did you bring your whole castle?”

The Ice Mage smirked. “Some of us think about how we spend our money and budget it, letting us buy things and settle in comfortably. Plus, five of those boxes belong in the kitchen, and I don’t hear you complaining about me cooking for you.”

He was wrapped in strong, warm arms. “I take it back. You can bring your moat if you want.”

Nuzzling briefly into Natsu’s neck, Gray pulled back to meet those dark eyes and said, “Why on Earth would I need a moat when I have my very own fire-breathing dragon? Nothing better than that when it comes to protection.”

Suddenly the Ice Mage was pinned against their front door, a hot mouth on his, tongue invading, taking. Over the past week, Gray had noticed that calling Natsu a dragon or complimenting his desirable qualities as a Mate either made him very cuddly and affectionate, or extremely horny. Usually the latter. This time was an accident, and he’d done a double-whammy.

A hand slid to grope his ass, and he gasped into the kiss. Fuck, he was so hard. He wanted that scorching mouth somewhere else. Natsu seemed to have a similar idea as he got on his knees and his hands went to free Gray from his pants.

“Almost done!” came a voice from upstairs.

They froze. Goddamn it was so easy to get carried away with his Mate and forget they might have an audience. Natsu stood with a scowl and gave him a short, chaste kiss. “If he weren’t putting up those wards, I might burn him for interrupting us.”

“We’ll have plenty of time tonight. Just need to calm down.” And given how much he and Natsu got carried away, he was running out of frilly bikini contests. Gajeel versus Reedus did the trick, though.

But there wasn’t time to go upstairs as the Wardsmith was coming down, preceded by Happy. The guy was at least seven feet tall, clearly struggling to move in what to him must be like a dollhouse. Natsu still had Gray pinned to the door, and the Ice Mage blushed under that knowing look. “So this is your Mate, huh?”

“Natsu, what have you been saying?” Because the sly, perceptive smile said a lot.

The man grinned. “Just that you have a very boisterous and enthusiastically active sex life.”

Groaning, Gray said, “We’re going to have a talk about what we do and don’t share about our ‘enthusiastically active sex life’ soon.”

“Hey! I had to be sure the wards could handle it. It’s not like I’m telling everyone at the guild how loud I can make you scream.” Natsu nuzzled into his Mate’s neck, making his defensive words sound pleased.

“I’ll just be going then,” the smith said. “Before any more clothing is shed. If I could just use the door…”

Oh, when had his pants come off? Good thing he nixed his boner before they came downstairs. Gray pulled Natsu away from the door. “Of course, sorry. How much?”

“The young man paid me already. And, as I told him, these are safe soundproofing wards. No sound should come out of that room unless it’s someone calling for help. That will bypass the barrier in case of emergency.” The Wardsmith opened the door, nodded at the three, and left with some difficulty.

When the door closed behind him, there was a moment of silence. Then: “I guess we should test them with some shouting.” Happy flew upstairs.

They followed, and the door to their room was closed. When Natsu opened it, they heard, “-SO GROSS! I’M GLAD YOU CAN FINALLY GET A ROOM!” The cat smirked when they entered. “Did you hear anything?”

“Just something about fish not being on the menu for the next month or so,” Gray said with a smirk.

“Noooo! It’s true! I’m glad you finally have a room so I don’t have to hear you. And…so you don’t have to worry about me.” Happy was suddenly serious. “Last night happened because you were trying to protect me.” He met the Ice Mage’s eyes and said brightly, “I appreciate it, but now it won’t be a problem!”

There was a comfortable moment where no one said anything, then the cat said, “So, it looked like there were some boxes in the kitchen I can unpack. I’ll go do that.”

When the door closed behind Happy, the Mates’ eyes met. They weren’t going to make it until tonight, and they both knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, another chapter not as long as I would like, but that seemed like the best (and cruelest) place to end it. Not action-packed, but it’s developing. I need to start slipping in more Gajeel bits. He needs his Mate too.
> 
> I’d love if you’d let me know what you think about this; the stark contrast in amount of feedback compared to In Hot Water had me worrying that the sequel was inadequate. But after I had a reviewer comment on both, I was more assured that this sequel isn’t just sending the original story and feels off the rails.
> 
> But that’s always up to you; I never hold updates hostage for reviews. Review or not, love ya guys, and I hope you loved this!


	3. Fully Mated at Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “GROSS! Help! Save me, Gray! He won’t let go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT! And giggles and feels. Hopefully the smut is of sufficient quality to suit you.
> 
> I wrote all of this within 13 hours after posting Chapter 2, just had to polish and fix a lot of what I was in too much of a hurry to do while I was “in the zone”. XD

The Dragonslayer leaned against the door, eyes burning into his Mate. “You’re not getting out of here until I hear this wonderful idea.”

Gray’s lips quirked. “I’m pretty sure I’m not getting out of here until we’re both thoroughly fucked.”

Laughing a little, Natsu said, “You’re right about that. But no more stalling. Tell me.” Because something burned inside him that said this was going to be incredible. Something about that look in his Mate’s eyes, the confidence, the _need_ , assured the Dragonslayer that he was going to love this.

“You love having your mark on me, love telling everyone I’m yours…I want that. I want to mark you and show you’re mine; I want to Mate you,” Gray said. It was something he’d thought about for as long as they’d been Mated, but it wasn’t as if Natsu wasn’t capable of thoroughly satisfying him as they had been going, so he kept pushing it off for later. But showing his mark to their friends and family…later had just become now.

The Dragonslayer’s heart leapt a little in excitement. His instincts wanted to dominate, but Natsu’s overwhelming desires made it easy to ignore. He’d known from the start that he wouldn’t want Gray to be less as his Mate than what he’d always been: a partner. A challenger, a rival, someone who made Natsu fight to be a better mage and a better person. His Mate had always been his equal, even if his pride hadn’t always allowed him to admit it. And being Mated by Gray…

“Yes. I want that too.” Natsu’s voice was low, almost a reverent whisper. “I want you to keep me forever.”

Only then did Gray notice the tears. “Natsu?” The Ice Mage pressed to his Mate against the door, arms embracing him and briefly nuzzling his neck. When he met those dark eyes, he hated that they were still wet. “Please don’t cry. I don’t know what I did-” Gray was cut off as he tried to pull further away from Natsu to give him a little space.

“NO!” Those strong arms were shaking as they crushed the Ice Mage to the Dragonslayer’s chest. “I said ‘yes’. You don’t get to leave now.”

And understanding dawned. A lot of the hormonal and temperamental behavior in his Mate had somewhat puzzled Gray, but his talk with the Metal Dragonslayer really helped give him insight. Natsu wasn’t secure in their bond yet. He was sensitive to any rejection, perceived or real.

“You’re mine, Natsu. My Mate. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.” He held his Mate close as that nose was buried in his neck.

Natsu wanted to drown in that scent. It was the best thing because it could be all the things. It was comforting, arousing, pleasant…hell, after sex it was often like a sleep-inducing drug. Gray was everything. And nothing reassured him like that scent.

“I’m glad you stopped crying. I hate seeing you like that. You have a beautiful smile.” His Mate ran a hand up and down the Dragonslayer’s back, the other one sliding into his hair, encouraging him to smell all he wanted. “Good, you’re so calm now. That’s a good boy.”

The Dragonslayer got hard so fast he was nearly dizzy. He hadn’t heard that in a while, and he had a better idea of why he liked it. Gray said it when he was in charge, when Natsu was following his lead. Natsu loved that approval, that praise. Still unsure why the phrase itself struck so deep, he knew that it meant it was his turn to be cared for, to be free of responsibilities. His Mate had everything, including him, under control. He was safe.

“Gray, I want you inside me. I want you to Mate me.” He _needed_ it now. It wasn’t like he hadn’t wanted it before, but now something was screaming that he would be naked and weak unless he wore his Mate’s mark.

Sighing contentedly, the Ice Mage dragged his nails up his Mate’s back, reveling in the startled groan and thrusts against his leg. When a tug on that pink hair had their eyes meeting, all he could see was there was nothing in the world that meant more than this man. “You’re perfect, Natsu.” It took no conscious effort to say it, it just came out. That must be how it was for Natsu. “Let’s get those clothes off.”

He intended to help the Dragonslayer, but clothes went flying fast enough to rival Gray. The only thing that wasn’t simply thrown was that scarf, which Natsu took off and set on the dresser. God, his Mate was already dripping, and those eyes were pleading with him.

“You’re too precious,” Gray said, and he moved to kiss him. He was so used to that hot tongue plundering his mouth that gently sliding in to cool that heat felt surprisingly good. And gentle was exactly what he wanted; Natsu was fragile, emotionally, and the Ice Mage wasn’t going to break him.

Natsu felt himself being pushed until he fell back to sit on the bare mattress. “I’m going to take such good care of you,” his Mate said. Then that dark head was between his legs, that tongue giving shivers of pleasure as it licked up his dick.

It wasn’t like Gray hadn’t gone down on him before, but he was always amazed at how that cold mouth that should make his cock wilt did nothing but make it impossible to hold back an orgasm. After only a couple of times, his Mate had figured out exactly what he liked and used it to take Natsu apart.

There was no effort to restrain the loud groan that escaped the Dragonslayer when he was engulfed in that chill. There was no need. God, they didn’t _always_ get excessively loud, but he had a feeling they would more now that they could. “Fuck, Gray! Nothing feels as good as your cold. OH! I-I never thought my body could enjoy ice like this.”

Gray smiled. It felt good to please his Mate. And he wasn’t sure at what point he’d lost his underwear, but he was stroking himself as he went. When he felt Natsu getting close, he spread those legs wider and gave his hole the briefest tease.

“FUCK, there!” Oh, he hadn’t expected a cool finger to show up there, but now he was spilling uncontrollably and his head fell back until he was flat on the bed. His body kept sending waves of pleasure through him until he was a trembling mess.

He definitely wasn’t expecting Gray to hover over him and cum all over his stomach, groaning and cursing. And there. Their scents were mixing. His Mate scent-marked _him_ this time. His Mate was claiming him, letting others know that Natsu belonged to him. His Mate intended to keep him. A soft sigh of contentment escaped the Dragonslayer.

“Was that good?” Gray asked. He leaned down to press a kiss to those scorching lips, hindering his Mate from answering.

“Oh, that was the best one yet,” Natsu said when his mouth was free. Gray looked over his Mate who was still shaking, but so obviously at peace. The Dragonslayer strangely seemed almost innocent with the way he looked at Gray. Adoration and quiet pleasure. Love. And pulling off “innocent” with a torso glazed in cum was no easy feat.

“We should clean you up.”

“I have a cloth in my right pocket for when we get carried away,” Natsu said, not even offering to get it. He was still floating on post-orgasmic bliss and the knowledge that his Mate wanted to keep him forever. He knew it; Gray had said it, but he didn’t feel it. Some part of him was incomplete and he needed more of his Mate to complete it. And Gray already knew, somehow. He was going to Mate Natsu and bind them closer than anything else.

His Mate returned a moment later to start wiping the sticky mess away. Those deep blue eyes sparkled with amusement before Gray said, “Aren’t you the little scout? Prepared for anything, huh?”

Natsu grinned, returning fire. “Well, after I made you cum in your pants in that alley, I thought it would be considerate to have at least something to use if we needed.”

Gray felt himself turn bright red. God, that had been embarrassing. “We get carried away too often.”

“You enjoy it,” Natsu said. Then his eyes grew uncertain. “Um, you said you wanted to Mate me.”

That look was heartbreaking, and he wanted to scour every trace of it from the Dragonslayer’s face. The Ice Mage leaned in for a kiss that was much less gentle, much more demanding. Because that was what his Mate needed right then. He needed to be devoured, an assurance that Gray intended to take everything, that there was nothing he didn’t want.

When they parted, gasping, Gray said, “After that night apart and how keyed up we were, do you really think we could hold out long enough for me to give you the thorough Mating you deserve?”

No, no he didn’t. When he slipped into Gray’s mouth it took effort to not just explode in delight and pleasure. “So…?”

“So now I’ll Mate you. We know it’s not going to take long for either of us to get going again, and I have the auto-lube…in my…pants’ pocket. Crap. They’re downstairs.” There were a lot of downsides to being a spontaneous stripper.

The Dragonslayer started giggling. “I have our back-up tube in my left pocket. God, you’re so predictable!”

Grumbling half-heartedly as he went to his Mate’s pants in a pile on the floor, Gray couldn’t help but love the sound of his laughter. He pulled out the little tube and was very grateful they had found it. Their first time had been wonderful, but not seamless. And Gray wasn’t walking anywhere the next day, which was a shame since he had to, since they got kicked out of the inn they’d been staying at due to noise complaints.

When they stopped in the pharmacy to get some pain-killing medicine, Gray, never having reason to venture before he was with Natsu, went to look at the adult product section. They agreed condoms weren’t strictly needed (they’d never been with anyone but each other and Natsu wasn’t in danger of impregnating Gray), especially since Gray was pretty sure the Fire Dragonslayer would melt them and he didn’t want that inside him.

He saw the little tube advertised to offer full lubrication and stretching after simply being applied to the entrance, be it pussy or ass. Since they’d gone three times the night before before Gray fell asleep due to exhaustion (and Natsu had been getting hard again as he drifted off), he thought it would definitely be worth a try. It was a pleasant surprise when the magic ointment worked like…well, magic.

And having this for his first time Mating Natsu meant things would go even smoother for the Dragonslayer than they had for him. Even knowing how much Natsu loved him, Gray had felt nervous and exposed doing that for the first time. His Mate had gone slow getting him ready, making sure the Ice Mage agreed to every step.

It was Gray’s turn now. Natsu was already fragile about his relationship with Gray, and he had to make sure that nothing bad happened to his Dragonslayer. Issues with lubrication and pain definitely counted as bad.

When he turned back, Natsu was already on all fours on the bed. He smiled. “Eager, aren’t you?”

“I want you to Mate me and keep me forever.” Gray didn’t like the tone that sounded more desperate than eager.

Running a hand up and down that tan back, Gray said, “You know this is almost a formality. Because whether we do this or not, I am _never_ letting go of you. We just need to make it official. We already have it.”

Feeling those muscles relax under his touch and words was gratifying. “I love you, Gray.”

And, God, if his chest didn’t feel too full… “I love you, Natsu. You’re perfect.” There it was again, unplanned and without any warning.

“Mate me, mark me, and show everyone I’m yours.” That gaze was direct and certain. The desperation and insecurity from before were gone, replaced with the impossibly wonderful young man Gray had fallen in love with.

They were both hard, so there was no reason to delay. “I like how you were already ready for me. You _are_ eager. Have you thought about having me inside you, Natsu?”

Exhaling shakily, Natsu nodded. “I dream about it too. I love burying myself in your wonderful chill, but I want to feel that cold flesh chilling my heat. Before I met you, before I loved you, I would never have thought fire and ice were perfect for each other.”

“We are, aren’t we?” Gray asked. He was running his hands all over Natsu; down his back, up his stomach, along his arms, sliding along from his feet to his thighs. And, indeed, he loved how he drew pleasurable shivers from his Mate.

Those cold hands were at his ass now, and he gasped. So close. He was so close to getting what he wanted. Then the hands disappeared, and he whimpered. “Gray…”

“Don’t whine. I’m getting you ready. Be a good boy and be patient for me, okay?” he heard Gray say behind him.

Those words had the desired effect: Natsu relaxed himself and waited quietly. But when a slick finger circled his entrance before pressing in, there was no way to stay quiet. “OH! I like that! It feels so cool and gooooood…”

Gray actually thought the lubricant was rather warm. But he supposed it made sense that warm to him was cool to Natsu. He slid a second finger in slowly after probing to be sure it was working. His Mate let out a whine. “More, Gray. Please? I just want you inside me.”

Since he knew from his own experience that Natsu could take it once he’d had the auto-lube, he slid in all a once, fast but smooth, and the Dragonslayer let out a high-pitched breathy moan. It was enchanting, hearing that almost feminine sound coming from Natsu. “Mmm, I like how that sounded,” Gray said. He was being wrapped tightly in the fire of his Mate’s ass. Like when Natsu was buried in him, it was intense but just on the right side of painful. And as he began moving the friction just made it hotter, so close to the edge.

God, is this what Gray felt when he had the Dragonslayer inside him? This connection? It felt strange, not altogether physical. But it was incredible. He and his Mate were connected, and nobody could break them apart. As that cold dick started moving, sending chills of ecstasy through him in waves, he felt the physical and nonphysical pleasures blending. It was all about that temperature, the way they fit together.

The Ice Mage ran his nails down the Dragonslayer’s spine, relishing the whimper it got him in addition to the tightness around him clenching further. Increasing speed on his thrusts, he was rewarded with more of those light, almost girlish noises of pleasure spilling from his Mate.

Natsu’s voice sounded a little strange when he said, “Pull my hair!”

Happy to oblige, Gray got a fistful of those pink locks and tugged. Now Natsu sounded right as he screamed, “YES! Oh, fuck, harder! Please. Oh fuck. Oh FUCK!”

With how tight his Mate got when Gray gratified his request, his hips were moving faster because, holy fuck, Natsu really enjoyed having his hair pulled. “Do you like that?” Gray pulled Natsu’s head back further to whisper in his ear, “Does my Mate enjoy me using his hair to control him?” He started kissing and nuzzling Natsu’s right shoulder. “Because that _is_ what’s turning you on, you know. It feels good, but I can do this-” he pulled Natsu’s head to the side for better access to his neck and shoulder “-and you’ll just let me. Such a good boy.”

Natsu gasped and became almost unbearably tight. And Gray was flooded with feelings and instincts, a deluge of intense mental sensations to supplement the physical ones. The Ice Mage was moving erratically now, and he was so close. “You’re _perfect_ , Natsu.” Another compulsive statement.

Never in his life had he felt so close to someone. Showing weakness, giving up control, letting every embarrassing noise out…these were things that only Gray could be trusted with. His Mate. His everything. And they just kept getting closer. It might be the physical connection, but Natsu felt that extra connection growing stronger too. And when Gray called him a “good boy” it took all his power not to just cum from those words. “You’re perfect, Gray. OH, right there! God, can I cum? Please, you feel incredible and I can’t hold on.”

They’d never discussed Natsu asking for permission to climax, and it actually hadn’t happened since the baths. But Gray still loved it. “Yes. I want you to cum _so_ hard for me, like a good boy.”

The Dragonslayer did, and the instant vice Natsu became around Gray’s dick gave him little choice but to follow. He bit hard into Natsu’s shoulder as he filled him up, unexpectedly relishing the blood he drew. It was the most overwhelming thing he’d ever experienced. Not just the orgasm, but the fucking _bond_ that he felt. He could feel Natsu not just as the body beneath him, but as more. Natsu was part of him, and he was part of Natsu. It felt so strange and wonderful that Gray’s eyes teared up a little.

When he got permission, he let go, pleasure rushing through him in the usual incredible uncontrollable fashion, but when he felt cold spilling into him, the pain from the bite on his shoulder took the ecstasy to a whole new level. The instincts piled on new layers to his insane orgasm. His Mate was his. And he belonged to his Mate. Nothing would change that, not ever. They were bound together, and nothing could tear them apart. And his Mate had grown so close they blended somehow.

Gray came down first, wiping the tears before they could fall. And, God, Natsu couldn’t calm his trembling body, still cumming, and the Ice Mage could practically feel the surges of bliss just watching him. “Okay, just try to relax,” Gray said. He stroked down his Mate’s spine and was glad when Natsu’s muscles started untensing. Eventually he was able to pull out of the Dragonslayer, and he pulled him off all fours and onto his side. Gray cuddled up behind him to be his big spoon, stroking and soothing as Natsu relaxed. God, it almost seemed like he had had a seizure.

“Good boy, just make yourself calm and comfy. I’ll take care of you.” Gray licked up the blood that was flowing, lamenting that his saliva wouldn’t heal his Mate’s mark like Natsu’s did.

That strange quality was in Natsu’s voice again as he said, “Can’t we just lie here the rest of the day?”

The Ice Mage smiled. “We’re going to have to get up soon. At least, I will. Maybe _you_ should rest up a bit. That was a lot.” He eyed the large puddle of cum where Natsu had been.

He felt his Mate growing sleepy. “Yeah, I gotta res-”

When Natsu fell asleep midsentence, Gray knew the rest of the moving would be up to him and Happy. Pressing a kiss to the forehead of his sleeping Mate, the Ice Mage carefully got around the Dragonslayer and put on his underwear. He quietly left and closed the door behind him.

When he got downstairs, Happy said, “Is that how long you usually take? I thought you were having a Go Fish tournament or something!”

“That’s actually shorter than usual.” At least an hour, sometimes two, and once three.

“Well where is he? We need to move our stuff too!”

“Uh, he’s out of commission for-”

“What?! What did you do to him?!” Happy flew up the stairs before Gray could stop him.

“Wait! Don’t go up there!” Damn cat. When Gray got to their bedroom, Happy was hovering over Natsu.

“You killed him! You bit him and sucked his blood and killed him! I hate y-” Happy didn’t get to finish as a tan hand wrapped around him and drew him up to Natsu like a teddy bear.

He’d been worried the cat’s shouting would wake the Dragonslayer, and it had. Except…Gray felt certain Natsu was still asleep. That had been something automatic, a reflex to comfort his distressed friend.

Happy, however, had just noticed Natsu’s lake of cum. “GROSS! Help! Save me, Gray! He won’t let go!”

Stifling laughter, Gray said, “One second.” He went out of the room and closed the door. Sure enough, the cat’s cries of “help” were making it through. He went back inside and was met with Happy’s scowl. “What? Had to be sure they worked.”

“You jerk! Make him let me go!” Happy was squirming furiously, but that grip was too tight.

Walking up to his sleeping Mate, Gray stroked a hand down Natsu’s arm onto the hand that held the cat. After a few times, the hand let Happy go. The cat flew out of the room like an arrow, vague noises of terror and disgust going with him. The Ice Mage allowed himself to laugh a little once he was gone. He slid his hand gently through Natsu’s hair as he considered what was happening with his Mate.

The cat had been screaming tucked right against Natsu, but the Dragonslayer didn’t awaken. Even the slight motions to push his head up into Gray’s hand were unconscious, he knew. The connection he had felt when they Mated was still there. He sensed that Natsu’s energy was seriously drained. The Dragonslayer would probably sleep the rest of the day and maybe even through the night.

He went downstairs, ignoring Happy’s glares and angry muttering, and sifted through boxes until he found a dishcloth. He got it wet and went upstairs to clean up his Mate. After that he’d help get Natsu’s stuff moved in.

(-)

Natsu and Happy didn’t have nearly as many things as Gray had. But one box was open, and on top was: “Hey, my shirt! I wondered where that went.”

The cat snorted. “Don’t you wonder where _all_ your clothes went? Like, _all_ the time?”

“Ha ha, at least the guild got me my own lost and found for my clothes.” It was thoughtful, especially when he was younger. He’d been embarrassed at the fact that he eventually started the day walking around in his underwear because he’d lost all his clothes around town and didn’t have money to buy more. They set up the bin so, especially in the guild hall, any clothes he couldn’t find would end up there. It was also why everyone mentioned when he lost his clothes. If he noticed, he could gather them up right away. “But why does Natsu have this one?”

Happy shrugged. “At first he said he’d return it to you. When he kept forgetting, I started reminding him when we left the house. He would just suddenly be in a big hurry and say he’d get it to you later. When I finally stopped mentioning it, I assumed he wanted something in case he ever needed to track you down. I would catch him sniffing it sometimes.” The cat pouted. “Now I see that he just wanted something that smelled like you.”

Gray’s face felt warm as he got a light feeling in his chest. If he didn’t love Natsu, and if Natsu wasn’t his Mate, that would probably be creepy and upsetting. Since he loved his Mate, it was adorable and endearing. “Remind me to tease him about this.”

Struggling to lift a bag out the door and onto the cart, Happy said, “Remind yourself. I’m still mad at you.”

Picking up a box and following the cat outside, Gray set the box on the cart and said, “You realize we’re in this together now, right? Like it or not, I married into your and Natsu’s family. We have to find a way to get along and live together, because neither of us is going anywhere.”

When he saw Happy perk up, Gray realized that was _exactly_ what was bothering the flying feline. This new part of Natsu’s life was something he wasn’t welcome in and didn’t actually want anything to do with, so maybe this was him being pushed out of Natsu’s life entirely. Maybe he didn’t belong with Natsu anymore.

“I’m his Mate and you’re his best friend. He needs us both. So you and I need to do some bonding or something. Because we’re both with him forever, right?”

There was a small noise before the cat was flying into his arms, face pressed into his shirt. “I’m so glad we’re family! I didn’t want to leave!”

He was pretty sure the little cat was crying as he stroked over his head and down his back. “You aren’t going anywhere. We’ll figure this out and settle into life together. Like family does.”

The cat had calmed, and he was purring gently in the Ice Mage’s arms. “I can see why he likes you, Gray. You’re cool.”

The Ice Mage couldn’t contain a laugh, spoiling their touching moment. “Was that a pun?”

Happy pulled his face away to smile up at him. “I guess it is now.”

“Let’s get your stuff on the cart so we can get it home. That undergrown lizard won’t be any help, so we have lots of work to do.”

“Aye!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hate that these chapters keep being so short, but it also improves my update speed, so hopefully it’s a worthwhile trade-off for you.
> 
> So, they’re fully Mated now! Now comes fun and confusion. More serious issues will occur as well, but I also *really* need to get into Gajeel’s courting Levy to be his Mate. Hopefully he’s still giving off enough hostility to be believable.
> 
> Oh, right, the auto-lube. Not sure what you’ll think of that; I’m not sure where exactly it came from. Probably thinking about lots of sex as a Dragonslayer’s Mate and how that could get rough. Maybe you think that’s cheating, IDK. But it is how I picture the incident in the alley. I mean, how else could Natsu dragging him down an alley, bending him over against a wall, pulling his pants down in the back just enough to use some auto-lube before he fucks him be pleasurable? I mean, yeah, they could take longer to prepare him, but they’d probably get his pants down further if that were the case. Anyway, that’s my thoughts on that incident.
> 
> Also hoped you enjoyed my thinking too much about life as a spontaneous stripper. I mean, how often has Gray had his wallet stolen because his pants were just lying there? And my heart had too many feels as I imagined when the guild realized little Gray needed help with his stripping problem. He’d walk in in his underwear in the morning one time too many before Erza or someone said something. I pictured him trying not to cry as he admitted he didn’t have clothes, like when Natsu was confronted about his limited reading skills. After that, his guild family found solutions. A lost and found bin. Making sure to point out when he lost them since he normally didn’t notice. And Elfman taught him to sew bits of cloth with his name into all his garments. FEELS!
> 
> As always, I’d love if you’d let me know what you thought by leaving a review. They fill my heart with magic and motivate me. But, review or not, I love you people, and I hope you loved this!


	4. Perfect Mates

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘You are launching a cannonball through our very thin-paned glass house.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Finally got the big reveal in this one! Plus plenty of Gajeel antics. A smidge of smut at the end. I think you’ll like this chapter a lot.

Gajeel stopped by their house that evening. Natsu hadn’t woken up yet, and Happy had settled into a nap with him, since the cat was sleep-deprived as well.

“He’s in a mild coma right now, but you can come in if you want,” Gray said. He could feel that Natsu was okay, and his certainty and detail of why was only getting stronger. Their _bond_ kept getting stronger.

“Wait, he can’t get up? I’m not setting foot in that damn house.” The Metal Dragonslayer had been about to come up the front steps but stood resolutely at the bottom.

“Why not?” Because that vehement tone told Gray there was something to be learned here.

“Don’t be stupid. He’ll lose his shit if he wakes up and smells that I was with his Mate in his den when he was powerless.”

Gray frowned. Like if he had Gajeel over when Natsu was gone. “I figured, but he’ll get over it.”

The Dragonslayer growled. “You don’t understand. I’m like him and I’m stronger than him. That makes me the biggest threat in his eyes.”

There was no stopping his next comment; it was a point of pride for his Mate. “Stronger? Didn’t he kick your ass when you first met?”

Snorting, but looking uncomfortable, Gajeel said, “Luck and the bullshit boost of friendship.” He added, “You can’t keep making mistakes like this.”

“Why do you think I want to talk to you? Him sobbing uncontrollably in the night is an unacceptable fuck-up on my part. He keeps calling me the perfect Mate when I’m anything but.” Gray sighed. “He deserves better.”

A strange look crossed that metal-studded face, something between confusion and suspicion. But the look was gone before Gray could ask. “I don’t care about your whining, I-”

“Bullshit,” Gray said, interrupting that obvious lie. “You care a lot. Whether you admit it or not, you like looking out for a little brother, or you wouldn’t care about his reaction to you coming in our house.”

Scowling, Gajeel said, “The pipsqueak needs another Dragonslayer watching his back; I’ve never seen anyone get into so much trouble as that idiot.” Gray noted that statement hadn’t been a denial. The Dragonslayer shook his head. “Once I met the rest of the guild, I understood why he loves it so much here. You’re all batshit.”

That set Gray laughing. “And now you’re like us. I mean, you were insane before, but it was more psychotic. You’re a better kind of crazy.” He paused to calm himself before adding, “It’s a kind of crazy Levy would appreciate more.”

Big Bad Gajeel blushed and looked suddenly uncertain, unwilling to meet Gray’s eyes. “I…I know she’s not as scared of me as she was. Already that’s better than I deserve.” The Ice Mage saw guilt weighing on the Dragonslayer.

“Levy is awesome. She’s probably forgiven you already, just still wary. And that’s probably lingering survival instincts she can’t control. Don’t worry about it.”

“Nice pep-talk, _Princess_ ; doesn’t change what I did.”

Rather than argue the point, Gray steered them back to Mating. “Is there a reason he always calls me ‘Princess’ now instead of the slew of insulting nicknames we’ve come up with? I mean, calling him a dragon in any way shape or form really…appeals to him, so clearly names have significance.”

Gajeel barked out a laugh. “Our dragons were our parents, our idols. Being put on their level is a mark of high esteem. But, come on, rightfully or not, dragons are famed for capturing and keeping a princess to be their own. Even if we know that isn’t accurate, we’re no exception. So wanting our own ‘princess’ would be another way to be like our dragons. Probably the reason he started calling you that to begin with.”

That surprised Gray. “So even when he was younger his instincts recognized me?”

A shrug. “Maybe. Instincts are always ahead of us. Even…with Levy…” That rough face became thoughtful.

“Wait, what about Levy?”

“When we first met-”

Okay, Gray wasn’t trying to be mean, but come on. “By ‘met’ you mean when you attacked her and pinned her and her team to a tree as a humiliating spectacle to prove the superiority of your previous guild that was inferior and full of back-stabbing assholes, including you at that point?”

“Yeah, then.” Gajeel frowned. But one thing that had helped Gray start trusting the Metal Dragonslayer when he joined was that he didn’t attempt to excuse, defend, or deny what had happened before he joined Fairy Tail. He would own up that he did what he did, occasionally say why, but never try to say it was okay.

“Just wanted to be clear. Go on, when you first ‘met’ Levy…”

“I called her ‘Fairy Princess’ to make fun of her. Didn’t even think about it until just now when you mentioned it.” The Dragonslayer looked displeased. Probably because it was one of the worst situations to start unwittingly declaring your intentions to court someone.

Gray smiled. “That could almost be sweet. Have you made a move on her?”

“Not yet.” There was a sigh that conveyed hopelessness to the Ice Mage.

“You should try calling her that and see how she reacts. If it doesn’t trigger any PTSD, you’re already ahead. And it will be easier for a girl to pick up on that being an affectionate name, as long as you say it in the right tone of voice. Meaning tone down your normal gruff mannerisms, or you _will_ give her flashbacks.” It had the potential to be kind of adorable, at least as much as anything involving Gajeel could be.

“Why should I listen to your advice?” It sounded stubborn and petulant.

“Because you helped Natsu and me when we needed it. I want to help you get your Mate. And I get the sense that you’re a little lost when it comes to courting a girl.”

A grumble and then: “I never wanted anyone else; why would I pay attention to normal people’s Mating rituals?”

Gray smiled. “A lot of the stuff we were doing Natsu thought was just because we were close friends and he needed me. And given some of the ‘help’ he needed, it was pretty clear he didn’t understand where most of us non-Dragonslayers draw the lines around intimate acts. That may or may not be true for you, but…you saved us, Gajeel. I’d really like to return the favor, especially since I’m still coming to you for advice.”

The Metal Dragonslayer looked distinctly uncomfortable with their dialogue. Then he said, “Fine, I’ll come talk to you. Now I’m leaving before your touching and feeling makes me sick.” And he just walked away.

He knew that he was heard when he snorted and said, “Levy won’t make you sick,” because Gajeel kept walking but gave him the finger, making him laugh. This would be fun.

(-)

When he woke, he was ravenous. Natsu rolled out of bed (when did it get sheets and blankets?) and pulled on his clothes and his scarf to go downstairs. There were no words for how much he loved his Mate who was cooking an enormous breakfast. “You are a GOD,” Natsu moaned as he sat at the table next to Happy.

Gray chuckled. “Pretty sure my control of the world is limited to ice. But especially after how much energy you lost when I Mated you, you needed the calories. We should take another job soon; feeding you is expensive.”

“Most of our money goes to food,” Happy said.

Snorting, Gray said, “I can see why. Good thing we have a combined income now. If we BUDGET properly we can eat and have money to buy other things.”

Natsu stuck his tongue out. “Yeah, yeah, you’re Mr. Smart-Money-Pants.”

Laughing hard now, Gray said, “It sounds like my pants are made of intelligent cash when you put it like that.”

“What’s a budget?” Happy asked.

“Exactly,” Gray said. “We’ll work on it.” He served the scrambled eggs and stacks of pancakes, both easy to make a lot of quickly, and watched it disappear. By now he’d thought enough to leave his portions of everything up by the stove so it wouldn’t get accidentally inhaled.

He watched his Mate stuff his face full and smiled. Turning back to the stove he thought, ‘You’re such a loveable little pig.’

“Hey, say that to my face!”

It took Gray a moment to realize the Dragonslayer was talking to him. “What?” he asked, slowly turning around.

His Mate couldn’t play dumb. “You called me a pig! After breakfast, you and me are throwing down!” He knew the Ice Mage said it affectionately, but they _really_ hadn’t fought enough lately.

“He didn’t say anything, Natsu,” Happy said around a mouthful of eggs.

“Yes, he did! I _heard_ him.” Gray’s voice had been kinda funny, but Natsu heard him loud and clear.

Gray’s heart beat faster. “Natsu…I didn’t _say_ that. I _thought_ it. How did you hear that?”

The Dragonslayer’s face twisted in confusion. What was Gray talking about? “You said it, I heard it. Your voice was weird, but I heard it.”

The Ice Mage’s jaw dropped. It sounded just like… “Natsu, did you ask me to pull your hair yesterday?”

Warmth better than fire bubbled in him as he said, “No, you just knew what I needed. You’re the perfect Mate.”

“Natsu, I _heard_ you ask me to pull your hair. Your voice sounded funny, but I heard it.” Gray’s heart raced out of control now. “When I Mated you…we knew we completed our bond to each other. I mean, I felt it. But I didn’t realize there were other benefits.”

Wait, they could read each other’s minds? Natsu tried to push into Gray across their bond. He could feel his Mate, but he couldn’t hear anything. “I don’t think it works.”

‘So you can’t hear this?’

He watched his Mate as he heard it, and Gray’s mouth never moved. ‘I can!’

“Um, what’s happening?” Happy asked, plate clear and reaching onto Natsu’s.

The Dragonslayer saw him. He snapped up his plate and started eating again. ‘Does this mean I can talk with my mouth full now?’

Gray started laughing again. ‘Of course that’s the benefit you’re after. You’re a _very_ loveable pig.’

“What?! What’s so funny?!” Happy demanded.

The little cat was feeling left out, mainly because he was. The Ice Mage felt bad. “We can apparently communicate mentally now. Being fully Mated is awesome. Speaking of, how is your mark, Natsu? Is it healing?”

Natsu slid his vest down on his right shoulder to reveal an angry red bite mark. There was no sign of blood, and it looked close to healed. Swallowing his last bite, Natsu said, “Can we worry about all that after breakfast? There _is_ more food, right?”

Now the Ice Mage could barely breathe he was laughing so hard. “Words can’t express how much I love you and your priorities.”

‘You’re perfect.’ It was a thought between them in perfect synchronization.

(-)

“Yeah, they live a couple of doors down now,” Lucy said. She, Levy, Erza, and Juvia were having their girl’s night. With pajamas and pillows and snacks, they were playing Gin Rummy.

Erza was thoroughly enjoying herself. Lucy was always surprised when the knight acted anything close to her age, and she thought that maybe Erza felt she _couldn’t_ just do girly things given her responsibilities and tough persona. “This game would be more fun with swords.” Of course, there was the high likelihood Erza was just weird and it had nothing to do with position and persona.

“I’m not going to ask how you would incorporate swords,” Levy said. She glanced at Lucy. “How’s that novel coming?” She felt a chill to her left and flinched at the look she was getting from Juvia.

Not noticing, Lucy said, “Kinda stalled right now. I’ve been writing a few short stories to keep in practice.”

“Oooh, can I read those?” Levy asked. This time she didn’t look, she just _felt_ that gaze.

“Sorry,” Lucy said. “Since you have first dibs on my novel, Juvia called first dibs on the short stories. But those are easy enough to finish and pass on, so you can read them after her.”

Warily, Levy looked over and saw the Rain Woman wearing the most pleased smile she’d ever seen on the mage. “That’s fine, I’d love to read them whenever.” The smile evaporated into that chilly gaze.

“I’m surprised the boys moved so quickly,” Erza said, setting her cards down to put more chips on her plate.

Making a face, Lucy said, “I think they wanted a sound-proof room as soon as possible.” She shook her head. “Not thinking about it. We should bully them into having a house-warming party. Gajeel stopped by today to talk to Gray, so he already knows where they live.”

“Gajeel!” Levy jumped a little and her voice squeaked.

Lucy looked alarmed. “Oh, I’m sorry, I forgot! Really, he isn’t that bad. I mean, I know I can’t speak for you when I say that, but he’s better than he was when you…met.”

“Gajeel was probably the closest thing to a friend I had before Lucy and Fairy Tail,” Juvia said quietly. When all eyes turned to her, she said, “The others of the Element Four tolerated me, and the regular guild members shunned me. No one wanted to go outside when I was there. Except Gajeel. He told me he liked the rain. We didn’t talk much, but he’d stay around me when no one else would.”

Levy smiled a little. “I’m not really afraid of him anymore. I mean, when Jet and Droy started that showdown, I was still terrified, but then he protected me from that stray lightning bolt from Laxus. It said a lot about him that words couldn’t. And I think he likes to read; he’s always wandering around the library.”

Watching Levy’s face, Lucy realized something. “Do you _like_ Gajeel?” When Levy shook her head and turned bright red, the Celestial Mage laughed. “Oh, wow, I did _not_ see that coming. Well, that’s unexpectedly awesome. How are you going to ask him out?”

Squeaking again, Levy said, “Ask him _out_?! Even if I don’t think he’ll hurt me, he’s still a Dragonslayer with no interest in a bookwormy mage like me!”

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Lucy’s mind was working at high speeds, thrilled with this new development. She remembered the story about Natsu’s very poor reading skills after being raised by a dragon. It seemed unlikely that Gajeel had been much better off when he entered civilization. So he didn’t strike her as a big reader, even if, like Natsu, he had someone teach him how to read better. Which would leave him a limited number of reasons to loiter in the library.

“Juvia thinks you have a chance.” The Rain Woman was now giving Levy a much more sympathetic look.

Erza smiled. “I support you.” Then she beamed. “Girl’s nights are for talking about boys, right?”

Lucy chuckled. “Yes. And now my heart is set on discussing ways to approach Gajeel.”

“No, I wouldn’t know how to even start a conversation with him!”

“We’re clever. We can come up with some ideas.” Lucy’s grin was sly now. “I have one that won’t require you to say a word.”

(-)

“Ugh, you guys. Can’t you keep your drama to yourself for a while?” Gajeel wasn’t pleased to see them.

After breakfast, Happy (feeling left out, Gray was certain) went fishing alone. That left the Ice Mage and Dragonslayer to seek advice on their own. “Well, I didn’t mention it yesterday, but we’re fully Mated now.”

That drew a frown to the rough face. “What do you mean? You were fully Mated already.”

“I Mated Natsu. I marked him.”

“You _what_?!”

Gray drew back at the alarm in the Metal Dragonslayer’s voice. “What’s wrong?”

“Mating and marking are for the Dragonslayer Mate to do.” It was stated as simple fact.

“Did you seriously think Natsu would dominate me completely?” Gray asked, raising an eyebrow.

Natsu slid an arm around his Mate’s waist and nodded. “We’ve been rivals since we met; give and take is kind of our thing.”

Gajeel made a face. “Well forgive me for not spending my free time thinking about how the Fire Runt and his Ice Princess go at it.”

“Is there something wrong with it?” Gray asked.

‘This sounds like it could be bad,’ Gray thought.

‘Rivet Face is just being a dick and giving us a hard time,’ Natsu replied.

“I don’t know, it’s just…not how Metalicana described it.” The Metal Dragonslayer sighed. “Even among dragons, there’s a dominant Mate. There’s no Mutual Mating.”

“Seems kind of narrow thinking,” the Ice Mage said. “Natsu and I are who we are.”

“Well, I-” Gajeel stopped speaking as his eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped open. Gray noticed him sniffing as well.

They turned to see what he was looking at. Levy was walking in with Lucy and Juvia, and she had on bracelets that covered the back of her hand and hooked over her middle finger. Oh, and they were made of iron chainmail. It didn’t look strong, but it was finely made, and it looked a lot like scales.

Glancing back at the Metal Dragonslayer, Gray saw he was biting his lip as if containing something. Natsu sniffed once before saying, “Keep it in your pants, man!”

Growling deeper than Natsu ever could, Gajeel said, “You don’t get to say that when you and your Mate are getting up to weird unnatural shit.”

That set Natsu to growling. “You want to say that again?”

Before it could escalate, Gray pulled on Natsu’s arm. “Come on, we’ll talk to him when he isn’t in the middle of a heart attack and raging erection.”

‘Imagine if I walked in two weeks ago wearing perpetually flaming clothes that somehow didn’t burn me. You’d be snippy too if you couldn’t just jump on me.’ Gray gave Natsu a meaningful look. The Fire Dragonslayer grumbled and allowed himself to be pulled away. ‘Also, don’t tell anyone to keep it in their pants since _we_ definitely _can’t_.’

They sat at a table not too far from the drooling Dragonslayer. Natsu made a face. ‘But it’s gross when it’s Gajeel.’

‘You are launching a cannonball through our very thin-paned glass house. Happy thinks our activities are gross.’

‘But you’re the most attractive thing on the planet! I love you more than food; how can he think you’re gross?!’ Natsu was somehow managing to express his great outrage through a pout.

Gray laughed and pulled his Mate closer for a kiss. ‘Same way you think Gajeel is. It’s all about perspective.’

“For being so quiet, you two sure are expressive.” Erza walked up, smiling warmly. She really did like seeing them get along, it seemed.

Natsu looked at his Mate. ‘Should we tell her?’

‘I don’t see why we’d hide it, at least not within the guild.’ Gray shrugged.

“We’re fully Mated now!” Natsu said, beaming.

“And we have telepathy because of it,” Gray added. In his peripheral vision, he saw Gajeel’s head snap in their direction and the Dragonslayer got up and rushed to them.

Putting his hands on the table and looming over them, Gajeel said, “What did you just say?”

“Now that we’re fully Mated, we can communicate mentally. It’s one of the things I wanted to ask you about.” Gray noted that the Metal Dragonslayer looked shaken.

“What the fuck are you talking about?!”

Natsu stood up to put his hands on the table and get into Gajeel’s face. “He just told you! And stop yelling at my Mate!”

When a growling contest ensued that Gray couldn’t simply pull his Mate away from, the Ice Mage pulled aside the vest covering his all-but-healed mark. He sank his teeth in gently and enjoyed how the Fire Dragonslayer seemed to melt a little, enough to be maneuvered back into a chair.

Gajeel looked stunned. “You really did it. You marked him.”

‘This really sounds bad, Natsu,’ Gray thought.

‘He. Is being. A dick,’ Natsu maintained.

Erza was watching all this with concern, and they were drawing lots of attention now. Lucy, Juvia, and Levy were slowly gravitating closer, clearly trying to listen in. “What is going on?”

“I already said I marked him. Why would I lie about that?” Gray asked.

“It doesn’t make sense. _He’s_ the Dragonslayer. You’re _his_ to claim and protect.”

“And Natsu is mine. I claim and protect him every bit as much as he does me.” The Ice Mage was starting to feel insulted. He’d tried to take Gajeel’s assertions in stride, but his value as Natsu’s Mate was being questioned. He sank his teeth into his mark on Natsu’s shoulder before letting go and saying, “Natsu is _my_ Mate, and I’ll kill _anyone_ who tries to take him from me.” The Ice Mage was a little surprised at how feral that came out sounding.

A burst of warmth came from his Mate, and Gray realized it was a mental impression from Natsu. The Fire Dragonslayer said, “Stop being a dick, Gajeel. What’s the big deal about our…telepathy?” He looked for Gray to confirm he was saying it right.

“That isn’t something that normally happens to Mates. Trust me, it’s the kind of thing Metalicana would have mentioned.” 

Erza was starting to catch up. “But if mutual Mating isn’t done, he wouldn’t know about this, right?”

That look of suspicion crossed the metal-studded face again. “Yesterday you said Natsu keeps calling you the perfect Mate…”

Gray was suddenly covered in affectionate Dragonslayer, nosing around his neck with hands running all over him. “Because he _is_ ,” Natsu said, looking like the proverbial cat that got the canary.

Surprisingly, Gajeel sighed and pulled up a chair to sit at their table. “There was one story, a myth, mind you, about Perfect Mates. All Mated pairs are perfect for each other. But supposedly this pair would be a perfect match on a metaphysical level. Powers, souls, whatever else: it would all fit together seamlessly. But it was just a story. Metalicana said no such thing existed.”

Now the Ice Mage was certain. “Maybe it didn’t then, but it does now. Once I started Mating Natsu, _I_ started saying it. I didn’t think about it or try to say it; it just came out. It just _was_.”

The Metal Dragonslayer groaned. “I don’t know how much help I can be anymore. You weirdos are off the map on this one.”

“I could do some research,” Levy said. Gajeel jolted upright as she spoke, and she jumped as well. She was standing between Erza and him on the side of the table to his left, and there was no way he didn’t smell her approaching, so Gray could only assume that he hadn’t expected her to speak around him.

The Script Mage bit her lip and looked at the Dragonslayer that wouldn’t meet her gaze. “Since this is your area of expertise, I could use your help, Gajeel.” When his head snapped up to stare disbelievingly at her, she squeaked. “If you want to, that is!”

Gray gently kicked the Metal Dragonslayer’s leg when he failed to respond immediately. “Um, yeah, sure. I could help.” But Gray was suddenly receiving a panicked look.

“Maybe you could meet in the library after lunch. We need to go find Happy and fill him in, and Gajeel can help us.”

Seeing his Mate about to open his mouth, Gray thought, ‘Shut up, Natsu. I know that’s a lame excuse, but this isn’t about us.’

Natsu scowled. ‘Why do you care so much about Rivet Face?’

Rolling his eyes, Gray thought, ‘He deserves his Mate too. And we have freaking psychic powers because we’re so perfect for each other; what more proof do you need that I’m not looking anywhere but you?’

Pouting, Natsu thought, ‘He called us “unnatural” and yelled at you.’

Now Gray grinned. ‘My silly little dragon, we _are_ unnatural. But what’s wrong with that? We’re exceptional, unique. It isn’t like _that_ is a surprise. Psychic powers, maybe but-’ He was suddenly wrapped in his Mate’s arms, face buried in his neck. Natsu actually held back longer than expected. That had been a deliberate use of the word “dragon”.

“Anyone else finding that a bit eerie?” Erza asked. Gray looked to see the four girls across the table staring at them.

“A bit,” Levy admitted.

Lucy smiled a little. “It’s kind of cute. Like, even if I don’t know exactly what they’re saying, I can kind of see the conversation based on their reactions.”

“I envy such a close connection to someone,” Juvia said, and the Ice Mage was pretty sure he was the only one who noticed the way she was looking at Lucy. When their eyes met, she looked panickily between him and the Celestial Mage, so he just smiled. If Lucy made her happy, that was good. If she could make Lucy happy, even better.

His Mate called him a dragon again. It filled him with so much pride he could burst. Most often, it made him want to ravage the Ice Mage, show him how rewarding it was to have a dragon for a Mate. And, yes, he really wanted to suck Gray’s cock. But in front of all their friends, he made himself translate that pride into affection, holding his Mate tight and kissing and nibbling his neck.

Natsu was considering crawling onto Gray’s lap when his Mate said, “Well, we should go find Happy.”

The Ice Mage stood, and Natsu released him with a whine. He loved his buddy, and he wanted to go find him, but his Mate called him a _dragon_. If he couldn’t show him the affection he deserved, he damn well wanted to drag him into some secluded place and feast on him until he got a taste of that cool, refreshing cum. But since the Metal Asshole was coming along, he couldn’t do that either.

As they got out into the streets, Gajeel said, “You need to be more careful about calling him that.”

Gray was startled. “I didn’t say that out loud. How did you know?”

Gajeel snorted. “That look on his face. Poor little pipsqueak wants to jump your bones but can’t do it with an audience.”

Natsu growled at him. “Watch your mouth, or I’ll decide I don’t care _what_ you see or hear.”

Rolling his eyes, the Metal Dragonslayer said, “I’ll start tracking your cat; you can catch up.”

No sooner was that said than Gray was dragged into a quiet alleyway, pinned to the wall under a fiery kiss. “I _knew_ you knew what that did to me,” Natsu said accusingly. “Yesterday was hard enough to hold back.”

Smiling, the Ice Mage said, “But it’s cute how much you love it.”

The Dragonslayer was on his knees, opening Gray’s pants (he must have lost his shirt back at the guild, he suddenly realized) and sliding that cold length down his throat. The Ice Mage bit his lip trying to keep quiet, then he had an idea. ‘OH! You bastard, you know it’s not fair that you can do that.’

Those dark eyes looked up to meet his, and he could hear, ‘You love getting loud. How handy you still can without letting all those people know what I’m doing to you down here.’ The eyes darted to the street, where an occasional person would pass by.

‘Bastard. I’m not an exhibitionist, even if I spontaneously strip.’

Natsu was moving and sucking with a hum of satisfaction. ‘Then why do you throb when I mention that anyone could see you like this?’

Gray gasped and then growled softly. ‘Don’t fuck with me, Natsu, that’s-FUCK!’ He couldn’t keep thinking when Natsu had his nose buried in Gray’s dark curls, grabbing his ass and sucking like a fucking vacuum. Rather than just Mating instincts, Gray thought his Mate’s lack of gag reflex also had to do with how quickly he ate his food. It was probably a bit of both.

‘You _love_ when I fuck with you, Gray,’ Natsu thought. ‘You’re barely hanging on. So close to exploding in my mouth that the thought of some young woman walking down here and seeing your perverted delight at her watching you cum in your Mate’s mouth like a desperate wh-’

And Gray exploded, muscles tightening as pleasure flooded through him. The heat of that mouth was too much and coupled with the words and images…he was done. Natsu knew him. The Ice Mage enjoyed semi-public sex. He really was the pervert the pink-haired idiot had always accused him of being.

“And I love it,” Natsu said, relinquishing him after swallowing everything he had to offer. “ _My_ pervert,” he added, tucking Gray back in his pants. “My delicious, cold, wonderful perverted Mate.”

“Wait, you heard that?” Gray asked.

“Yeah. You didn’t mean to?”

It made sense, he supposed. Even without trying there were things they wanted to say and admit to their Mate. It was how they figured this out to start with. “I didn’t, but I suppose it isn’t the worst thing to confess.”

“Definitely not,” Natsu said. Then he smirked. “Hey, Gray?”

“What?”

‘ _Now_ do you think talking with my mouth full is a benefit you enjoy?’

The Ice Mage busted up laughing. ‘Definitely enjoyable. Bet you’ll enjoy it too.’

“Later,” Natsu said. Now that he’d taken care of his Mate, he could wait to satisfy himself. “Gotta catch up to that idiot and find Happy.”

They left the alley and Natsu started sniffing. Gray said, “By the way, Happy’s been feeling left out since we Mated. Let’s try not to rely on telepathy around him, okay?”

“Okay. But Happy knows he’s always going to be my best friend.”

Gray sighed. “Not necessarily, Natsu. If you don’t _show_ him that, he might not _feel_ like it’s true anymore. So lets find some things we can all do together.”

“He really liked playing Go Fish for cat treats with Lucy,” Natsu suggested.

“Then we’ll pick some up for tonight. But I’ll be splitting my winnings half and half between you two. Because I know you want some cat treats.” Even as he said it, he watched Natsu’s thought process from his expression: Food+Face=Good.

‘My adorable, warm, wonderful gluttonous Mate.’ The Ice Mage slid an arm around the Dragonslayer to pull him close. ‘Perfect.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know much about Levy, so if she’s OOC, that’s why. I hope you enjoyed that deluge of Gajeel/Levy.
> 
> Hopefully you also enjoyed the development in their Mating bond. There is still more to learn, and Levy is clever enough to make some educated guesses.
> 
> As always, thanks for reading! Reviews and comments are appreciated, but obviously not required. I hope you loved this!


	5. Back in the Bath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And damn, you make volcanoes sound sexy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m aware these little origin stories aren’t accurate, and the minor trigger warning for Gajeel’s was a surprise to me too (not what I planned, just what came out).
> 
> Also please forgive the medical inaccuracies. It’s always tough to find an injury to suit one’s needs that will also heal quickly, so I oversold a very minor injury. Again, I beg your forgiveness.

“I can read, but I’m not good at it! She’s going to think I’m stupid.” It was the answer Gray got when he asked why the Metal Dragonslayer had looked panicked at the prospect of researching with Levy. They were sitting by the side of the river where Happy was still fishing.

Natsu wasn’t great at reading either. Erza had him reading functionally, but he wasn’t able to read anything complex. He could empathize with Gajeel for not wanting to look stupid in front of his Mate. In fact, even years ago, Gray was the one he was most worried about when he was forced to admit he couldn’t read well. “Did anyone teach you after Metalicana left?”

“There was one guy I met right after I gave up waiting and went to the human world. He took me in for a while. He taught me how to read better.”

“Oh, that’s nice. How is he?” Gray asked.

“I killed him.” The words were flat while somehow still containing a wealth of hatred.

Both Mates and the cat froze and stared at the Metal Dragonslayer. “Um…”

“There are things adults aren’t supposed to do to kids, and I didn’t let him. He was a poor predator if he couldn’t tell his prey wasn’t weak. He deserved worse than what he got.”

It was part horrifying revelation, part justification, part brushing it off, and part dark satisfaction. And if that was Gajeel’s first interaction with humanity, Gray could kind of see how he got to be the way he was. Whether anything happened or not, being preyed upon as a child by the first human who took care of you…Gajeel had trouble relying on anyone but himself. It made Gray feel a lot better that he was _allowed_ to help the Metal Dragonslayer, especially after hearing all of that.

“Wow. People were pretty nice to me. I mean, they laughed when I said I was raised by a dragon, but when I started breathing fire to prove it, they pointed me to Fairy Tail.”

“And from there it was love and acceptance in your merry band of destructive freaks. You’ve had it good, kid.”

Natsu nuzzled into his Mate’s neck. “I’m the luckiest guy alive.” He paused. “It’s not as bad as yours, but Erza taught me to read. You should ask Levy to teach you; Levy will be a nicer teacher than Erza.”

“What do you mean by that?” a cold voice behind them asked.

“Holy shit!” Natsu jumped and turned to see the knight glaring at him. How the hell did that woman get the drop on his senses? “Did you really pop out of nowhere just to hear me say that and scare the shit out of me?!”

“No, I came to discuss potential uses of your abilities for team jobs. But it seems I stumbled upon something else.” Erza looked the Metal Dragonslayer over. “Gajeel, if you want to pursue Levy, I support you fully. And, should you ever want it, I would be happy to teach you to read better as well. Don’t listen to Natsu; I’m an excellent teacher.”

“I never said you were a _bad_ teacher; I said you were a _mean_ teach-OW!” Natsu rubbed the top of his head where she had just hit him.

‘Quit while you’re behind, dummy,’ Gray thought with a smile. His Mate was hopeless.

‘But Erza _is_ mean…’ Natsu pouted.

‘But notice you aren’t saying it out loud now. Guess you aren’t _entirely_ hopeless. Just mostly.’ Gray smirked now, and it got just the reaction he wanted.

“Those are fighting words!” Natsu said, standing up and pointing at his Mate. **_Finally!_** He’d been dying for a good fight for ages now. He loved taking Gray apart with pleasure but taking him apart by force still had its appeal.

“ _What_ are fighting words?” Erza asked, displeasure crawling into her expression.

“Good to see some things will never change,” Happy said from his spot beside the river. It was unnatural for them to stop fighting entirely.

“Think you can beat me, Pinkie?” Gray asked. His blood was pumping faster. Fighting Natsu had always been more exciting than fighting anyone else.

“Come on, Popsicle, let’s see how many licks you can take before you melt.”

‘Didn’t we already discover that earlier?’ Gray asked, grin becoming cockier as he raised an eyebrow. ‘You’ve already given me a thorough licking; how about we fight now?’

Damn, he walked right into that one. Natsu’s face felt hot, which was ridiculous for multiple reasons. So he just charged at his Mate. And was met by Erza’s iron hand as she stepped between them. Running face-first into that metal hurt. It always had.

“ _Why_ do you still insist on this? When you were sublimating your desires for each other I understood the _relentless_ fighting, but now-” Erza was cut off.

“It’s how they show they love each other,” Gajeel said. When Erza looked at him, he sighed impatiently. “Look, you clearly value order and want your team to get along. But this is exactly what that looks like.”

“If Gray and Natsu stopped fighting, it would mean something was really wrong,” Happy agreed.

“Just because they’re fucking now doesn’t mean everything changed.” Gajeel stood then inhaled deeply, his exhale almost shaky. “Now, if you are done needing someone to solve your drama, I have a date with a library…and my Mate.” The Metal Dragonslayer walked off without another word.

“Erzaaaa, how am I supposed to get better if I don’t fight Gray?” Natsu whined.

“Yeah, without all my fights with Natsu I would suck. You wouldn’t want me on your team,” Gray added.

The knight looked between the two. “So this is…training?”

Gray shrugged. “We train to beat each other, and we train while we’re trying to beat each other.”

“Training is no good if you can’t use it. And you can’t go all-out on a friendly opponent unless you know they can take it. Gray has always been able to handle whatever I throw at him.” The Dragonslayer was smiling at his Mate.

“And they still like hitting each other until one of them wins,” Happy said, back to them as he fished.

They shared a competitive grin at that. ‘You’re perfect.’ It was shared in unison.

“It’s better to watch them fight each other than something _gross_ like a big white puddle on the bed,” Happy said with a shiver.

Erza’s face went red in record time. Of course, so did Gray and Natsu’s. “Happy!” Natsu said. “You can’t tell people things like that!”

“Just fight fairly and train well,” Erza said before fleeing.

“Was I lying?” Happy asked, and he sounded petulant.

“No…but you do realize that we’re being the least amount of gross in front of you that we can be, right? We don’t have to be nice. I mean, I’d _love_ to bend Natsu over the table and make him _scream_.”

“Don’t!” Happy dropped his fishing pole and leapt up in horror.

Natsu smirked. “I want to push Gray down on the couch and make sure everyone in the neighborhood can hear him yelling my name.”

“Stop, stop! It’s nasty!” The cat was rubbing at his face and ears in distress.

“Then can we agree that our home life is private?” Gray asked. He looked at his Mate. “That applies to you too, Natsu. I don’t care if the wardsmith was soundproofing, you don’t need to share details of our sex life.”

“It wasn’t details!” Natsu protested. He had only said he was good at making his Mate scream loud multiple times per night and asked if the wards could handle it. He thought that at Gray.

“Fine, but we’re still on the same page, right?” Gray looked between the two.

“Yes!” Happy said. “Just stop talking about it!”

“Yeah,” Natsu said.

But he thought, ‘So no talking about it after the fact, but risking being seen actually doing things is okay?’

Gray blushed harder, but replied, ‘I guess so. But don’t think I won’t take you in public too, Natsu Dragneel.’

A look of mild panic crossed the Dragonslayer’s face at that idea, even as Gray sensed how much his Mate loved it. ‘Only bold when you’re in charge? Oh, you’re going to lose your mind…’

“I don’t like whatever conversation you’re having,” Happy said, looking between them.

“And that’s why we aren’t having it out loud. We’re being considerate of you,” Gray said.

Natsu bit his lip before he said, “I’m not scared.”

So adorable. “Then I’ll have to test that statement soon. In the meantime, I think we were going to fight?”

Happy let out a sigh of relief and retrieved his fishing pole. “That’s what you’re best at.”

‘Agree to disagree?’ Natsu asked.

‘We have more practice fighting, but we are damn good at sex. I’d put them about even.’

“Are you going to hit me or what, snowman?” Natsu asked.

The Ice Mage responded with force, not words. There was so much joy to be had in testing his power against his Mate; giving everything he had and receiving just as much in return. No worries about breaking someone. Natsu was almost too perfect.

(-)

“Okay, we might have gotten a bit too excited and carried away,” Gray said. He was in the infirmary under Erza’s cold gaze. Natsu was sitting behind him on the bed, arms wrapped around him and face buried in his neck.

After the fight escalated from fists to magic, Gray had been thrown into a tree and hit his hip hard enough to make Natsu call time-out. It wasn’t something they ever did before, but now the Dragonslayer’s instincts wouldn’t let him keep fighting if his Mate was possibly seriously injured. It put a damper on their fights, possibly permanently, but it was also…nice, being cared for that much. And as long as it wasn’t serious they could keep going, but Gray had problems moving for a few moments when he was trying to get up, and _that_ triggered Natsu to stop.

“It’s only bruised,” the doctor came back and said. “Badly, but nothing permanent or serious. He just needs to avoid any strenuous activity for a day or two and rest, preferably on the side that won’t put any weight on that hip.”

Erza glared at the Mates. “Do you hear that? And if I hear about or catch you fighting for the rest of this week, you will regret it.”

They both nodded obediently, but Natsu was also offended. “I take care of my Mate when he’s injured; I wouldn’t hurt him further!”

“You injured him to begin with!” Erza really was the overbearing older sister. The look on her face when she burst into the infirmary was a lot softer and more worried than her anger now.

Teeth sank into Gray’s mark territorially, and he sighed and reached back to pet through that pink hair. ‘Don’t listen; you know I’m not a delicate flower. I’ll be fine. After all, I have an attentive Mate to help me heal, right?’

That got him kisses and nuzzles instead of teeth. ‘She makes it sound like I’m a bad Mate.’

‘You aren’t. You’re perfect. And when we get home I’ll show you how much I appreciate you.’

‘He said “no strenuous activity”.’ Natsu wasn’t about to do anything that could hurt Gray; he wasn’t lying to Erza.

‘Would it be so strenuous if you sat at the head of our bed and let me lay down and rest between your legs for a while? I still haven’t gotten back at you for the alley.’

And he was suddenly all too eager to get home and take his Mate up on that. ‘Okay, but after that we have to do something else, something that will relax your muscles.’

His Mate smiled softly at him. ‘What do you think about a bath?’

Natsu loved it. ‘Haven’t had one of those since we’ve been Mated. One of our special ones?’

‘Nothing makes my muscles relax like those. And you take care of me.’

Warmth spread through Natsu at Gray’s words; his Mate knew Natsu was a good Mate. The Dragonslayer stood up, carefully helping Gray to his feet. “I’m taking him home.”

“To rest, right?” Erza asked.

When Natsu growled, the knight took a step back, surprised. He said, “I’ll take care of my Mate. Always.”

And Gray knew he would. He would never again be alone, nor would Natsu. They were bound together so tightly their minds connected. Nothing could break them apart.

(-)

“Wonder what that yelling is?” Levy asked from her seat in the library.

Gajeel had heard. “Pipsqueak injured his Mate and Erza’s pissed.” He scowled. “I’m usually yelling at his Mate, but now he’s fucking up. I’d never hurt y-my Mate.”

“You have a Mate?” Levy asked, trying not to sound too interested.

“All Dragonslayers do. And, except for that oblivious idiot, we quickly get a sense for it. Not to mention we have an idea what kind of Mate we’re looking for. He has a Battle Mate, someone to fight with him. Actually, that’s the one kind where injuring your Mate isn’t a serious disgrace.” Gajeel had started talking without realizing it. It was almost babbling just to ensure that he didn’t immediately tell her, “Yes, and it’s you.”

“So there are different kinds of pairings?” Levy was interested now, and not just in Gajeel.

“At least in dragons there are. Aggressive dragons usually have Battle Mates or Supportive Mates. Supportive Mates can match them, but usually in a non-physical sense.”

Levy loved learning. “What kind of sense is it usually?”

“Some are good at caring for them after a fight. And if it isn’t healing, the Mate often offers…intelligence. It makes the aggressive Mate better at fighting if they have a clever Mate to back them up.” God, why not just say she was his Mate because he loved her brains? This was a horrible idea. She was going to find out; she wasn’t stupid like Gray.

The Script Mage had noticed the Dragonslayer eyeing her chainmail hand flowers as she turned pages. She couldn’t bring herself to ask if he liked them; he might just be hungry. Lucy refused to listen when Levy said it was like draping herself in meat to get the attention of a predator. Not that she thought Gajeel was so primitive, not now. Her body still had some instinctive flinches if he made too sudden a move at her, but she could also see how that hurt him. Gajeel regretted what he’d done, and she forgave him, so she felt guilty for continuing to make him feel guilty.

“Are there any more kinds?” Levy asked.

“Well, not all dragons are aggressive. There’s a difference between, ‘I’ll kill you if you threaten me’ and ‘I’d love to tear your heart out so feel free to challenge me’. For those who are more mellow, there’s basically two kinds of Mates finding each other. A Provider and a Nurturer. Basically their main desire is to settle in and have a family. Not that aggressive dragons don’t, but it isn’t top priority.” And it wasn’t the first thing Gajeel thought of when he thought of Levy, but it definitely had appeal.

By now, the Script Mage was taking notes. “Are the Provider and Nurturer usually male and female, respectively?”

Gajeel shook his head. “Just depends who’s better at what. Female dragons can lay eggs and then go out to get food, leaving the male to care for the eggs, and eventually, the hatchlings. And unlike humans, there’s no shame in it. If you’re good at raising your kids, you’re proud of it. Male or female.”

He wasn’t ready for the bright smile she gave him. “I like that. Who knew dragons could be so progressive?”

“Humanity is just backwards. Adults should always take care of kids…” God, why had he told those idiots about that? It had felt kind of good at the time to share what he’d never told anyone, and, yes, Gray was right in saying he was starting to see Natsu as family. But now all those ugly feelings he’d crushed down were surfacing, and it wasn’t anything he wanted his potential Mate to see in him. Gajeel wasn’t broken.

The Dragonslayer jumped when a small cool hand covered his with a gentle clink of iron. He looked up to see Levy still smiling at him. “I agree. It’s one thing I love about being in Fairy Tail; we take care of those kids who don’t have anywhere else to go because they’re too unique and powerful. I mean, I wasn’t here then, but I know that Erza, Gray, and Natsu joined the guild like that. And look at them now. This is a good place for people who believe that adults should always take care of kids. It’s a good thing you belong here now, yeah?”

Why was he fighting back tears? Levy just patted his hand and went back to her book, and he got the sense she was purposefully looking away from him. “Natsu said people in town treated him nice.”

Levy let out a laugh. “Maybe, but I heard that he was running around scaring the people in town by asking if anyone had seen his dragon dad and breathing fire at anyone who dared to say he wasn’t raised by a dragon. People were eventually begging him to ask Fairy Tail if they knew where a big fire-breathing dragon was. He wouldn’t be the Natsu we love if the guild hadn’t taken him in; he didn’t know how to deal with regular people. Actually, it’s kind of scary to think what might have become of a little Dragonslayer on his own.”

She suddenly looked at Gajeel, who had calmed any desire to cry, and he saw the question. “I wasn’t so little. But, no, the world isn’t nice to kids who are looking for what they think are mythical creatures and who have powerful abilities that frighten people.” He scowled. “And I was never as cute and loveable as I’m sure the pipsqueak was.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.” Levy eyed him. “That book in front of you might have something.”

Gajeel felt sick. He didn’t want his Mate to think he was stupid. “Um…”

“Can’t read?” It was said with matter-of-fact kindness, no pity.

The Dragonslayer stared at her, and he was pretty sure his mouth was open. “I can read! Just…not stuff like this.”

“I wondered. I heard about Natsu when he was little.” And Lucy had shared her theory that gave Levy more confidence that Gajeel might be interested in her. “It would be like a nightmare to me, not reading.” She smiled at him. “Want me to teach you? I mean, we’re researching, but we could also improve your reading level.”

His Mate really was as kind as she was smart. “Um, yeah. That’d be good.”

“Fantastic!” Levy was thrilled. Whether Gajeel had any interest in her or not, sharing the joy of reading was a worthwhile goal in and of itself. And maybe he did like her. Time would tell.

(-)

“You sure this doesn’t count as ‘strenuous’?” Natsu asked breathlessly. His Mate was lying on his good side on their bed, up on his elbows so he could take the Dragonslayer in his mouth.

‘Am I moving my hip?’ Gray asked. He loved how that hot flesh felt. Inside, outside; any part of Natsu touching him felt so good, so _right_. But right then, sucking on his Mate, it was like he was pleasuring an active volcano. The heat, the movement, the anticipation of eruption spurting burning hot liquid…

“No, you’re not moving your hip. And damn, you make volcanoes sound sexy.” Natsu grinned. Then he gasped as Gray moved faster.

The Ice Mage was already getting used to accidentally revealing things to Natsu. ‘ _You_ make volcanoes _seem_ sexy, jerk.’

He knew Gray was having to work harder than normal because he kept staring at the place he injured his Mate. A big patch of purple that he knew would look worse by the morning. It did not turn him on, more the opposite, and he couldn’t seem to look away.

‘If you’re gonna feel bad, feel bad on what you’re missing out on. I Mated you yesterday, and I only had you once. Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?’ Gray looked up until Natsu met his eyes. And he tried to give Natsu his ideas, just to see what would happen.

“Fuck! How did you just do that?” his Mate asked, and Gray was pleased it had worked. Natsu was shaking now, and the Ice Mage was eagerly anticipating eruption. “Do you really think I’m flexible enough to do that?”

Gray knew exactly which one Natsu was referring to. ‘If we go slow, it shouldn’t hurt too bad to try and find out.’ His Mate was sooo close, he could feel it. ‘Do you want to try those? I mean, most of them would probably have you making those wonderful little noises you know I love.’

“I don’t sound like a girl,” Natsu said, but it was hard to sound stubborn when Gray was sucking him like that. “Oh, fuck, I’m about to erupt. Can I? I need it so badly; tell me I can…”

‘Be a good boy and cum for me,’ Gray said, and Natsu obeyed.

God, when Gray had given him that image, Natsu felt like a force of Nature, crying out and cumming so hard into his Mate’s mouth. But that wonderful cold mouth felt better than any fire could. He knew the Ice Mage liked his hot nature, but he loved all the cold his Mate could offer.

The Ice Mage had come to the conclusion that he was probably the only one who could handle Natsu’s cum, let alone enjoy it. Because it edged pleasantly on painful for him, and he was constantly counteracting the heat since that’s just how his body functioned. It probably _would_ feel like lava to a normal person.

“Good thing I have my Ice Princess then,” Natsu said, breathing heavily. “And does it seem weird to you that after one day of being Mated, one day of having these psychic powers, we’re taking to them like a fish to water? I don’t know how you put all those dirty fantasies inside my head. But I did enjoy them.”

Gray let Natsu slide out of his mouth and was breathing even heavier than his Mate. “Just tried.” He wondered if memories would work too. He tried to concentrate on the memory of their last bath together, how it felt when Natsu wrapped Gray’s leg around his waist while he thrust against the Ice Mage.

Natsu’s eyes widened as he was given that snippet. He remembered looking down at Gray but didn’t realize the Dragonslayer himself looked quite _that_ desperate. “You wanted me to take you?”

Nodding, he settled his head onto his Mate’s thigh. “But I was still thinking you’d get over me once ‘Mating Season’ was over. I couldn’t do that and then have it mean nothing. You mean everything.”

He loved his Mate so much. Natsu caused Gray so much trouble, he often felt unworthy of his love. But he was greedy and would take it anyway. “I would have told you.”

“Hmm?” Gray, despite having his own arousal neglected, was getting a bit sleepy.

“If you had asked me to take you, I would have told you that you were my Mate. There was a point where I wanted to take you unless you stopped me, but then you told me you trusted me. After that, I didn’t want anything that you didn’t knowingly give. So I would have told you.”

Exhaling in amusement, Gray said, “Would have saved us some time and heartache. But a lot of things would have. What’s important is we made it here.”

Eyeing his Mate’s arousal, Natsu said, “Are you sure I can’t…?”

“My dick is close neighbors with my hip, so no matter how calm a party we try to have, we’ll wake the neighbors.” Probably one of the most ridiculous things to ever come out of his mouth.

The Dragonslayer laughed a little. “You have the weirdest metaphors.”

“I thought you liked the volcano. Although let’s agree that won’t be a recurring theme. If you’re a ‘force of Nature’ you’re more like Chaos or Entropy incarnate than a volcano.” Really, his Mate was a natural disaster more than a ‘force of Nature’. Although he supposed volcanoes were classified as either or both, depending on the context.

“Hey, that’s not nice,” Natsu said, but he was smiling. If they couldn’t kick each other’s asses right now, at least they could still banter. But he saw his Mate looking sleepy and knew there was a place he’d rather sleep. “How about we take that bath now?”

Gray nodded and they got up. They put on a minimal amount of clothing since Happy was home and made their way to the bathroom. Of course, they ran into the cat in the hall. And Gray remembered something. “Hey, Happy, we were going to get some cat treats and start a round of cards, but can we do it tomorrow night? We wanted to do something as a family.”

The cat grinned. “Yeah! I’m gonna beat both of you and take all the treats!”

“Don’t count on it, buddy,” Natsu said. “I want to try some.”

“They’re tasty; you’ll like them,” Happy said confidently.

“Well, we’ll get some tomorrow. Natsu and I are going to take a bath.”

“I’ll be in my room.” The cat flew away.

They said nothing, a comfortable silence, as they washed, but when Natsu slid into the bath and Gray got in to lean on his side against Natsu, he said, “This brings back memories. I was so happy I got sick during your ‘Mating Season’ so I could experience all those things. I really like baths because of that.”

Natsu hummed as he heated the water, then, when his Mate went limp against him, he said, “I still feel dumb for lying like that.”

“Doesn’t matter now.” Gray sighed as Natsu drew him up closer trying hard not to pull by the hip. “Did I mention that I love being this helpless?” When Natsu frowned thoughtfully and shook his head, Gray continued, “I can’t even move, but I have my Mate to protect me and take care of me. It’s nice to feel safe and helpless at the same time.”

Now the Dragonslayer let out something between a growl and a purr, a low pleased rumble, something Gray had never heard before. Then Natsu said, “I’ll always protect you and take care of you. I’m glad you know you can trust me like that.” He awkwardly nuzzled into Gray’s neck and shoulder, the fact that the Ice Mage had to stay lying on his side on Natsu making things difficult.

It was about trust, wasn’t it? It was actually more intense than bondage, in a way. Unless you had the expert knot-tyer or special equipment, a person could struggle and, if you had a very shitty knot-tyer, possibly get loose. There was no struggle or escape for Gray. He was under Natsu’s control completely.

He gasped when a hand stroked over his dick. “I’d forgotten you could do that,” he said, groaning softly as pleasure started washing over him in gentle waves.

“I figure it’s impossible for this to be strenuous since you can’t move. And if I don’t go fast, it’s more relaxing than teasing, right?”

Gray nodded. “Oh, God, that feels so good, Natsu. How long do you think we can do this for?”

“I’m game to find out if you are,” Natsu said with a grin. He’d stay with his Mate all night like this if he wanted. Gray deserved it.

Not to mention that he enjoyed the subtle litany of groans, whimpers, and sharp inhales of pleasure. It was so easy to give his Mate all this pleasure, it almost felt like cheating. After half an hour had passed, he asked, “You enjoying yourself?”

His Mate smiled up at him. “It’s amazing. But I think it is actually building to the point where it will frustrate me. Maybe…rub my back instead?”

“Of course,” Natsu said, removing his hand from Gray’s dick and sliding it along his back. His Mate almost purred.

“You’re the best Mate,” Gray said, voice already drowsy. “Perfect.” A few more moments and he was asleep.

“We’re perfect together,” Natsu said absently. “I’d be a mess without you.”

Another half hour and the Dragonslayer figured they were pruny enough. “Hey, Princess. Wake up.” He was gentle as he stroked up and down Gray’s arm rather than his back.

“Did I fall asleep?” Gray asked.

Snorting, Natsu said, “Like you didn’t know it would happen when you asked me to rub your back.”

“Okay, I knew there was a high probability,” the Ice Mage admitted.

“I have yet to do that and _not_ have you fall asleep. Gonna start calling my Ice Princess ‘Sleeping Beauty’ instead.”

“Please don’t. So you want to actually go to bed?” But he felt Natsu pressed against him, noticing his Mate had stopped controlling himself after he fell asleep. “Probably should let me ‘rest’ between your legs once more before we settle in.”

Natsu started draining the tub. “You don’t have to.”

Gray started getting to his feet as soon as he could move. “I want to. I like your hot cum. Really, we have complimentary temperature fetishes, if you think about it.”

Natsu got out and offered his Mate a hand to help him out. “I thought we just fit.”

“Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.” Gray smiled and took the towel his Mate handed him. “Two ways of saying we’re perfect for each other.”

‘More than anyone else could be,’ Natsu thought.

A warmth only Natsu could bring in him filled Gray as he kissed his Mate’s cheek. ‘My Perfect Mate. I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest guy alive.’

‘Agree to disagree,’ Natsu thought as they finished drying. They just put towels around their waists and carried their clothes. He was on alert for his Mate’s towel allergy as they returned to their room. ‘I don’t deserve you.’

Gray rolled his eyes as they closed the door behind them. “Instead of endlessly trying to correct stupid statements like that, how about I suck your dick and we cuddle up and sleep?”

“You won’t find me arguing with that.” But Natsu still wondered how he could possibly be good enough for his Mate.

Growling, the Ice Mage said, “You already are. Shut up and let me blow you.” But they shared a smile as they settled in. Perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Done! Hopefully Gajeel’s little backstory wasn’t too upsetting or out of place; it’s not going to be a feature, at least it shouldn’t be. It is kind of funny that after he mocked Natsu’s uncertainty and shyness, he has his own to deal with.
> 
> And I hope all the Natsu/Gray bits pleased you as well. (The hip-dick-neighbor joke was weird, but once it was in I had trouble replacing it.)
> 
> If you are so inclined, please feel free to review! Makes me remember that people are waiting, Belladonna, so get to work. And just fills me with joy.


	6. The Ambush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "The guy with the soundproof bedroom is busy with plans every night, you pervert."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, got some feels, got some fun, got some plot, and got some smut. That’s a balanced diet for fanfiction, right?

“Natsu, what is this?” Gray asked. It was the following evening and they were waiting for Happy to return from buying the cat treats for their card game. They’d spent the day finishing all the unpacking, not even dropping by the guild hall.

The Dragonslayer turned to see what he was holding, then turned pink and looked away. “It’s a shirt. I know you have a problem with clothes, Stripper, but I didn’t think you needed help identifying them.”

Gray smirked. “This is _my_ shirt that I found when moving things out of _your_ house.”

Folding his arms stubbornly, Natsu said, “I have no idea what you mean. How do you know it’s not mine?”

There was no stopping the laughter that followed. “Apart from the fact that you don’t wear clothes like I do?” He turned the shirt inside out and leaned over the back of the couch to lay it on Natsu’s lap. Then he wrapped his arms around his stubborn Mate and moved his vest to gently bite his mark before saying, “How about the little piece of cloth stitched to the seam inside that says, ‘GRAY F.’? Elfman taught me enough sewing skills when I was a kid to put them in all my clothes. It’s a habit I’ve kept up with, even if I don’t have as many problems as I used to.”

He loved when his Mate bit him, but it felt sooooo good when he would bite his mark on Natsu. It made him feel claimed; loved. And Gray had figured out that it made him more docile and submissive if they weren’t actively engaged in foreplay or sex. Then it had the additional effect of making him ridiculously turned-on. Even in this calm moment, it stirred him. “I might have seen it before.”

“Happy said he caught you sniffing it. He didn’t realize that you just wanted something that smelled like me.” When Natsu’s face warmed right next to Gray’s the Ice Mage grinned. “You’re adorable. If I didn’t love you it would be creepy, but since you’re my wonderful Mate, it’s a very endearing little story.”

In a flash, Natsu was on his knees on the couch, leaning into Gray’s embrace over the back of it. And his face was buried in his Mate’s shoulder, taking in all the scent he could as he kissed and nipped. “It’s like a drug. When it was getting harder to ignore my instincts, it was either steal your shirt or start nuzzling you in the middle of the guild hall. But the scent just kept getting fainter. I was worried I’d have to steal some other piece of clothing when you got sick. God, getting it first-hand when we were close like that…you smell like Heaven to me.”

“How long had you known I was your Mate?” Gray asked, sliding his hands through that pink hair.

“Three years since I was sure, but I started feeling weird urges around you since I hit puberty. It was embarrassing, and I put it down to hormones, but…one day our fight devolved into wrestling and all I wanted to do was pin you down and fuck and bite you to make you mine, and I realized what that meant. Before Lucy came along, I had no hope of even getting close to you since we’d been enemies for so long, but then Erza teamed us up and you started hanging out with us.” Natsu bit firmly into his mark on Gray’s shoulder, and the Ice Mage hummed in contentment. “I still never thought I could have you.”

“It was closer to four years for me. I mean, I tried to ignore what I was feeling because how could I have a crush on my nemesis? But I started to admit it, little by little. I never let myself attach the word ‘love’ to it until we were in the bath.” Gray sighed. “It’s why I cried, you know? You kept saying I was perfect and all those things that made me feel special to you, but all your actions were being blamed on Mating Season, so I didn’t think you meant them.”

“Stupidest lie,” Natsu said. He paused. “You asked if Dragonslayers had a ‘that time of the month’ and it would have been better to go with that, if I planned to keep lying. I mean, then I’d be able to be affectionate with you once a month instead of once a year. But I’m glad I didn’t have to lie that long.”

Gray laughed. “You didn’t need to lie at-” He was cut off by a knock at their door. “Weird.” Happy wouldn’t knock, so who was visiting?

He opened the door and found Lucy there with an entourage. “Hey! House-warming party!” And she pressed in, moving him aside as she, Juvia, Erza, Levy, and Mira entered. Gajeel lingered behind them in the doorway, looking over at Natsu. When the Fire Dragonslayer nodded, Gajeel entered and Gray closed the door behind them all.

“It’s rude to show up and throw a party at someone else’s house you know,” Gray said frowning. He was hoping for cards with Happy, another pleasant bath since he still wasn’t supposed to be active, and then jerking and sucking Natsu off a few times before they went to bed.

“Oh, don’t be sour; we brought food and most of the party stuff with us, and some of us brought gifts. And I’ll stay after and clean up, promise.” And when Lucy gave him that dazzling, eager smile, the Ice Mage caved.

“Fine, but Happy will be back soon, and we promised a night of Go Fish for cat treats,” Gray said.

Lucy reached into a bag and pulled out a deck of cards and a nearly-empty jar of treats. “I also brought a variety of flavors of hard candies for those of us who don’t enjoy cat treats.”

Okay, she had thought about this. Gray sighed. “Okay, you win. Neither Natsu nor I have the inclination to play host, and you seem to be a bit too good at playing hostess.” The Celestial Mage gave him one of those looks she got when she was far too pleased with herself.

“Just you wait, this will be fun!” Lucy promised.

Gajeel sat next to Natsu on the couch, looking uncomfortable. “I was told I had to come.”

Lucy looked at him. “When I said you had to come, I didn’t pull you here by your ear. You could have said no, Mr. Big Bad Dragon Man.”

That made the Metal Dragonslayer turn away. Only Natsu could see he was blushing. Lucy wasn’t his Mate, but it still felt good to be called a dragon, Natsu knew. “Except you knew Levy was coming,” the Fire Dragonslayer said in a voice so quiet only Gajeel could pick up on it.

The other man nodded. “I didn’t want to miss spending time with her.”

While the Dragonslayers had their subvocal conversation, Gray was dealing with Lucy fussing over set-up. “You could have asked before doing all this,” Gray said.

“And if I asked to have the party tonight, you would have said…?” Lucy asked.

“We had plans.” Because they did.

“And if I asked about tomorrow night?”

Tomorrow Gray was allowed to be more active. Even if they had to be careful, they could finally have sex again. “We’ll be busy.”

“Exactly. The guy with the soundproof bedroom is busy with plans every night, you pervert. And a house-warming party should happen soon after you move in or it’s lame.”

“Hey! It’s not perverted; we’re in love!” Gray didn’t like her reducing their physical expressions of devotion to simple perversion. All the lust was tempered with love. However much he wanted to jump on Natsu, it was always meant to let his Mate know how important he was, how needed. He wanted Natsu to always understand that he was everything.

‘Well, it’s a little perverted…’ Natsu thought. He was grinning, though; his Mate was so cute. And the Dragonslayer had heard what Gray thought of their sex life, and he agreed. However physically satisfying it was, the emotional satisfaction was the most important part. It’s why he was able to content himself with just touching his Mate when he was limp in the bath. As long as Gray enjoyed it and knew that Natsu did it because he loved him, it was enough. He’d be able to drag Gray down an alley again in the future. ‘Right before your hip got hurt, remember?’

Gray turned red and looked over to scowl at him. ‘If we’re not going to mention out loud that I like when you suck me off in an alley in broad daylight, why are you mentioning it in our heads?’

Natsu just looked sly as he thought, ‘Do you want me to say it out loud? Tell everyone how you-’

“This is what I mean by unsettling,” Erza said, apparently continuing an earlier conversation.

Mira was looking between the Mates. “I don’t know, it’s kind of cute.”

“But you can’t hear what they’re saying! They could be plotting to destroy the town for all we know. Even Gajeel can’t eavesdrop on that conversation.” Erza glanced at the Metal Dragonslayer.

“Natsu teased Gray about some perverted antic of theirs, Gray got pissy, and Natsu was egging him on,” Lucy said.

The whole room turned their eyes towards her. “What? They have absolutely zero poker face between them. I mean, you’ve known them longer than I have, and you can’t tell that’s what they’re saying based on body language and context?” Lucy met every gaze with challenge. “They’ve had that kind of exchange a million times, if not necessarily about perversion. It doesn’t take a psychic to see what that conversation was.” She turned to Gray. “Was I right?”

“Yeah. Spot on,” Gray said. If they were talking unsettling, Lucy’s intuitions about he and Natsu and how they interacted were way worse than mental conversations.

‘She’s kind of spooky,’ Natsu said.

‘I mean, she spends a lot of time with us, but she’s right; aside from Juvia and Gajeel, she’s known us the least long of anyone else in the room. Maybe we should work on getting some poker faces. I’d rather not have her picking up on every perverted thought you send my way.’

‘Oh, you mean like-’

“Let’s just set up the food and stuff and get this party started!” Lucy said.

The door opened and Happy burst in holding a big bottle of cat treats. “What’s everyone doing here?”

“It’s a house-warming party,” Mira said. She moved to close the door.

Happy drooped a little. “But…we were gonna play Go Fish…”

Lucy set the cards and almost empty bottle of cat treats down on the counter, quickly followed by a big bag of brightly colored candies. “I’ve got you covered, Happy. Game on.”

The cat swooped to deposit his bottle on the counter and dove at the Celestial Mage. “I love you, Lucy!”

Natsu and Gray were told they had to play as a team since if either of them were at a vantage point to see anyone else’s cards, cheating would be easy. “We wouldn’t cheat at Go Fish,” Gray said, grumbling.

“Your husband seems a bit too interested in trying a cat treat,” Lucy said, nodding at Natsu. The Dragonslayer had, indeed, been eyeing the two bottles with eager curiosity.

They both were surprised by that. Natsu supposed, in human terms, that’s what Gray was to him. It was an inadequate description compared to Mate, but he supposed he liked it well enough that it wasn’t insulting.

Gajeel, however, felt differently. “They’re not legally married; they’re Mated. That’s his Mate.”

“Sorry, your Mate. I suppose that should be easier to remember since your ‘exchange’ was of bite marks and not rings. Natsu’s vest may cover his, but Gray is always losing his clothes, so his is usually showing.”

Hey, when had he lost his shirt? There wasn’t much time to wonder when Mirajane said, “You know, Gray would have a huge handicap at strip poker. Even if he won, he’d strip.”

That got a lot of laughs, which Gray didn’t entirely appreciate. But warm arms wrapped around him from behind and teeth sunk into his mark. ‘I like that you always show it off. Even if I know you do it without trying, it feels like you’re proud to be mine.’

‘I am.’ Gray wondered if it was normal for his mark to affect him like that. Natsu’s teeth made him feel loved, claimed, wanted. Even just a couple of days ago when Natsu bit it and declared that Gray was his Mate, it had made him sigh in tolerance. Now, he reacted more like Natsu did. Well, they had blended into each other when they fully Mated; he supposed he really did have some Dragonslayer instincts now.

‘Although I doubt you’ll breathe fire anytime soon,’ Natsu thought with a smile. He liked that his Mate felt the same way about their marks.

‘Fire will never be on my menu, pretty confident about that.’ Even if they had blended a bit, they were still distinctly different people. Their contrasting/complimentary elements of magic were the best evidence. ‘Besides, if I got warm, who would give you cold blowjobs?’

‘And there would be no more volcano if I started playing with ice.’

“Whatever conversation you two are having, cut it out,” Gajeel said.

Natsu realized he could probably smell their arousal, even if there wasn’t physical evidence yet. “You’re just jealous.” Only after it came out of his mouth did he realize that was a dick thing to say. Of course Gajeel was jealous; Natsu had his perfect Mate.

A growl preceded two hands grabbing his vest and pulling him in close. “What did you say?”

“Hey! This isn’t that kind of party! Housewarming, not Fight Club.” Lucy wasn’t going to let their macho shit ruin her well-planned party. Really, one goal of this had been to keep the Mates from getting wrapped up in each other all the time. And while Natsu fighting Gajeel technically qualified, it still wasn’t what she was looking for.

The Fire Dragonslayer sighed. “Sorry. That was mean.” He was let go but only got a grunt in reply.

Levy couldn’t help but notice that, while Gajeel had been glancing at her every so often (she was still wearing her iron chainmail hand flowers after all), now he seemed to be avoiding looking anywhere near her. She wanted to take that as a sign of some kind, that Natsu calling Gajeel jealous of his bond with Gray had something to do with her, but she also didn’t want to get her hopes up. There were a lot of things that could be promising signs.

Gray felt the weight of a gaze on him and turned to see Juvia giving him pleading eyes. And he got it. He remembered the panic on her face when he saw her looking at Lucy. And since there was nowhere in the apartment that Dragonslayer ears couldn’t reach (except their room, but taking her there was akin to declaring war), he said “Hey, Juvia, let’s take a quick walk while they get started.”

The snarl that ripped through the air was followed by dead silence. Natsu was glaring at him. “No!” Gajeel was backing that sentiment with a frown and shaking his head.

“We’re friends, Natsu. Mated or not, you don’t get to tell me who I can be friends with.”

‘Not _her_! Anyone but _her_!’ Even in his mind, Natsu said it with a snarl.

‘You don’t control me, Natsu. She needs to talk to a friend. It has nothing to do with how she used to feel about me.’

They were glaring at each other, neither backing down. And since neither of them was completely dominant, it wasn’t going to be easily settled. ‘She’s just tricking you to get close! She only says she’s over you so she can steal you.”

‘She didn’t say anything. I know she’s moved on.’

The Fire Dragonslayer growled. ‘So you’re saying she can talk to you in your head too?’

‘You have lost your damn mind, Natsu! Of course she can’t!’

Nonetheless, the Dragonslayer was about to lunge at Gray, who had stepped in front of Juvia, when Lucy cut in. “No domestic violence! You’re Mates, for heaven’s sake!”

And Natsu felt something tremble inside him. He remembered thinking it when Ryo mentioned domestic violence: that was for couples who only hurt each other in anger or for control. He and his Mate always squared off at equal levels of strength for pleasure.

This wasn’t them. And this ugly feeling inside when he saw Gray protecting her was irrational, he knew. As he calmed, it was easier to remind himself that Gray was bound to _him_ forever. They were Perfect Mates, fitting together and matching each other in every way. He’d already injured his Mate and promised not to hurt him further, and now what was he doing? Natsu felt himself crumbling from how rotten a Mate he was.

Gray was across the distance and kissing him as soon as he heard that thought. ‘You’re perfect, Natsu. I knew this would upset you, but you have to trust me. I love _you_. More than anything else in the whole world.’

Aloud he said, “We just need a quick conversation. And since Dragonslayer ears mean no conversation here is private, we have to go outside and down the street a little. It’s to do with her, Natsu, nothing to do with me.” He kept his voice firm, but the tone was softer.

He followed it with: ‘And when this party is over, we’ll spend the whole night together if you want. However long it takes to remind you that I’m yours. Cuddling and sucking, and our special bath.’

It made him feel better. Gray always knew what he needed. But he still couldn’t look at them leave together. “Just go,” he said, turning around to sit on the couch with Gajeel.

As he heard the door open, though, he thought, ‘I love you too, Princess.’

Unlikely as it seemed, Gray was smiling slightly when the door closed behind them. Juvia, however, looked upset. “You shouldn’t have done that. I don’t want to cause you trouble.”

“Natsu and I are forever; we’re going to disagree sometimes. And this needed to be settled anyway. We’re friends, right?” Because Gray knew that, though her social circle was expanding, there were few people Juvia felt close to.

“Yes. I’m glad this didn’t ruin our friendship.”

“Real friendships can stand up to trouble. Come on, let’s walk a little further so we can talk. I can’t leave my dragon alone like that for too long.” Gray knew Natsu was listening.

When they were far enough away, Gray said, “So, you and Lucy, huh?”

Juvia turned bright red and looked down at the ground. “I…I suppose it makes me seem kind of fickle, but yes.”

“Nah. I bet you already had feelings for her developing even before Natsu and I Mated.” Because, misplaced as her affections for him had been, he knew they were real and wholehearted, so her feelings for Lucy would be the same. Part of Juvia’s problem seemed to be that she felt too much and put too much of herself into things. It was why all the rejection in her life had made her the way she had been, and why him treating her like a regular person hit her so deeply.

“In the Tower of Heaven…I’ve never met anyone like her. She’s…like a star. So bright. It makes me want to bathe in her radiance.” Juvia suddenly looked up at him, embarrassed. “That must sound…I don’t want to be creepy!”

Gray laughed a little. “I get it. She does have that aura around her. It’s why she can barge into people’s houses and throw parties and get away with it. Speaking of, we should get back. But first…you going to ask her out?”

Juvia shook her head. “How can I? I have no idea how to start talking about it, even!”

“Maybe try to see how she feels about girls to start with? Then it isn’t immediately about you.” Gray shrugged.

The Water Mage started walking back. “Perhaps I’ll start there. Thank you, Gray, for being such a good friend.”

“It’s what friends are for.” When he walked in the front door, everyone was seated in a circle on the floor around the coffee table in front of the couch.

Lucy pressed her cards to her chest. “We’ve already started; no peeking! Your Mate isn’t going to win any cat treats the way he’s going; go join his team!” She smiled as she said it, though. Lucy was brilliant, he had to agree with Juvia.

He saw that Gajeel had been teamed up with Levy, and boy was he sorry he missed seeing that. And… “Since the round already started, why don’t you play with Lucy, Juvia? Since she’s all about teamwork.”

The Water Mage blushed, but Lucy said, “Yeah, we’ll kick their asses! Come on, Juvia. There are Starberry flavored candies in there.”

Natsu was, not by coincidence he knew, sitting on the opposite side of the circle from Lucy, with the best view of the door. “Hide your cards; psychic Mate coming through!” Gray said playfully as he made his way to his Mate.

‘You losing?’ he asked as he sat behind his Mate. He spread his legs and pulled Natsu close to him, wrapping him in his arms and burying his face in the Dragonslayer’s neck.

‘I’m not winning,’ Natsu thought. He hadn’t realized that every muscle had been tense until he melted under his Mate’s attentions. ‘Until you walked in. _Now_ I feel like I’m winning.’ Gray had called him a dragon while he was in earshot on purpose, he knew, and he wanted to show him affection, since he couldn’t suck him off when they had company. He’d heard Lucy say something to Erza about keeping Gray and him from getting lost in each other. But it felt like the opposite. Gray and Natsu were at home in each other; they knew exactly where they were.

‘Guess I’ll have to show you affection instead. What cards do we have?’ Gray looked at their hand as he mouthed along Natsu’s neck and shoulder. His Dragonslayer sighed and melted even more in his grip.

There was a growl and then, “Cut it out!”

They looked over at Gajeel. His growl had spooked Levy, and she was shaking slightly. The Metal Dragonslayer looked stung, like he hadn’t realized she was still that afraid of him. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to scare you.”

“It’s okay,” Levy said, taking a deep breath and calming herself. “I was just surprised to hear that when you’re so close.” He was behind her to see her cards, and even sitting with his legs out to the side, just his torso behind hers made her seem tiny.

Gajeel made as if to shift away, but a softly-clinking hand grabbed his wrist. “You don’t have to move, just…try not to startle me, okay?”

The first game ended in Natsu’s first cat treat. Gray had been a real asset: ‘That’s a three; Erza asked last round if anyone had a three.’ He popped it in his mouth, a little disappointed at the small size, but smiled.

“These are good!” The flavors were blended together, but it somehow made it tastier instead of muddying the individual goodness.

“Told you so!” Happy said. “But I’ll win next round!”

“This will take forever to get rid of my candy,” Lucy said. “How about you pick a prize when you get to three pairs, and the winner picks five prizes?”

Everyone agreed that sounded better. And as they started again, Erza said, “I wanted to apologize for yesterday, Natsu. I know you will take care of Gray.”

Natsu had actually forgotten, putting it down to Erza being overprotective like always. “It’s okay. Gray knows I’ll always take care of him, and that’s the most important thing.”

“Still, I could tell I offended you. After the…you’re very important to me. All of you.”

Gray didn’t expect the Tower of Heaven to be brought up twice in one night, especially at all by Erza. No one seemed to know what to say to that until Natsu finally said, “We’re family, right? We fight with each other and look out for each other.”

Erza’s smile was so soft and happy, and Gray saw her eyes shining slightly. She cleared her throat and looked away quickly. “Did anyone that hear more of the scale tattoo people are in town?”

Levy nodded. “There’s always been a couple you could see around, but I’ve seen more lately, yeah.”

Only the Mates seemed to notice how Gajeel froze at this news, something between alarm and rage on his face. “Why didn’t you say something sooner?!” It was an explosion of fury.

The Script Mage dove towards Lucy and Juvia, who held her shaking form close. The Metal Dragonslayer cast a guilty glance her way before glaring at Erza. “Why didn’t you tell me you had those bastards in town?!”

The knight gave him a stern look, glancing between him and Levy. “Because I don’t know what significance they hold for you. Clearly you find them offensive-”

“It means you have a fucking Dragon Cult in town. If they’ve been here for a while, they’ll be really dangerous by now!” Gajeel was growling.

“Why?” Gray asked. Because a Dragon Cult that upset Gajeel probably would affect Natsu as well.

“If they’ve been here for a while, it means they’ve been watching Natsu. If more have shown up, it means they know I’m here and they’re after me too. And if they’re active enough that you’re noticing their numbers, they’re planning something.”

“What is a Dragon Cult?” Levy asked, voice shaking.

“They claim to revere dragons, but they really just want to be them. They want what we have. We’re the closest thing to a real dragon they’ll ever get their hands on.” Gajeel was growling again.

Gray gripped Natsu tighter. Given his response… “How do you know about them?”

“One caught me when I was a kid.” That great form seemed to shiver. “I tore every last one of them apart. And I swore I’d never let them touch me again.”

With the positive influence of the guild and when he was laughing with/at them or being Natsu’s big brother, it was easy to forget, but when he was like this, saying these things, Gray was forcibly reminded that Gajeel had spent most of his life as a remorseless predator. Even if he was getting better, that darker, more feral nature was still there.

Surprisingly, Levy was sitting up and moving carefully towards him. “I’m sorry, Gajeel. We didn’t know what they were. We would have told you if we did; we don’t want you or Natsu hurt.”

“I’d kill them.” Gray was surprised to find it was him saying that out loud in a deadly serious tone. “If they dare try to take my Mate, I’ll freeze their whole world and shatter it to pieces.” He was holding Natsu in a death grip but freed a hand long enough to pull his vest aside and sink his teeth into the mark there. His Dragonslayer relaxed against him. Gray had felt Natsu’s distress when Gajeel told them about the Dragon Cult, and that he now felt safe and comforted because he was in Gray’s arms, under his protection…it filled him with a warm glow of pride.

“Uh, which of them is the Dragonslayer again?” Lucy asked, eyes wide.

“We blended a bit,” Natsu said, tone so content it was almost sleepy. “He’s got some of my instincts now.”

There was a short silence, then: “I don’t think I feel like partying anymore.” Levy was standing up, still shaking slightly.

“Indeed, we should probably call it a night. We’ll meet at the guild tomorrow to discuss this Dragon Cult with Master Makarov,” Erza said.

It didn’t take long for everyone to leave (Gajeel storming out first without saying goodbye) until it was just the Mates, Happy, and Lucy. The Celestial Mage sighed. “There isn’t much, but I’ll clean up like I promised.”

“Sorry your party got ruined, Lucy,” Happy said. “Even if I didn’t get a treat, I had fun.”

She smiled at the little cat. “Tell you what: you and Natsu can split what’s left of my bottle, and next time we play your bottle will be the prizes.” She was gathering things up and stowing them away in her bags. Clearly Erza and the other girls had been helping, because there were at least five heavy bags that hadn’t been touched.

“Need help carrying those?” Gray pointed.

Lucy shook her head. “You might as well keep them; I’ll get my dishes later. That’s the food we didn’t get around to eating. If I leave it here, I know it will be enjoyed; I can’t eat all of it by myself.” She sounded amused as she said, “It should save you from cooking for, what, half a meal, Gray?”

“Something like that. Thank you, Lucy. This ambush party was very thoughtful.”

“Hey, it was a surprise housewarming party!” She frowned at him.

“Surprise parties happen when everyone is waiting for you and hiding. When the party comes marching in the door to where you already are, it’s more of an ambush. Doesn’t make it any less thoughtful.”

Lucy folded her arms. “A surprise party wouldn’t work unless Natsu was in on it; he would smell us inside. And I doubt he can keep many secrets from you anymore. Not to mention Gajeel said that intruding in a Dragonslayer’s den was rude and dangerous, and he wasn’t coming inside without Natsu’s permission.”

Gray held his hands up in surrender. “Like I said, you thought a lot about our ambush housewarming party. Thank you.”

“Can you get all those other bags by yourself?” Natsu asked. “If not, I bet Juvia would help you carry some. She’s waiting for you outside.”

Both Gray and Lucy gave him startled looks. She didn’t know Juvia was out there, but the Ice Mage was just happy that Natsu seemed to have mellowed out when it came to her.

‘You can’t keep secrets from me anymore. Why didn’t you just say she liked Lucy?’

The Celestial Mage opened the front door and invited Juvia back in as Gray thought, ‘It wasn’t my secret, so I wasn’t going to purposefully divulge it to anyone.’

Natsu hugged Gray and buried his face in his neck. ‘I’m sorry I didn’t trust you.’

“I didn’t think I should stay inside after everything that happened,” Juvia said.

The Ice Mage smiled at her reassuringly. “It’s all okay now. This guy can read my mind; he knows what really happens.” He also gave her a meaningful look: Natsu knows too.

She blushed and picked up half the bags. “Shall I accompany you home?”

Lucy gave the Water Mage a fond little smile. “That would be great, Juvia, thanks.”

As the front door closed behind them, Natsu heard their conversation. “Do you want to stay for a while once we get this put away? I wrote a new short story today. You’re really good at asking questions and pointing out inconsistencies to help me improve my writing.”

“I’d love that. Although, in the last one…Elodie and Nova seem extremely close. The more I think about it, the more I wonder if they’re meant to be lovers. I know short stories are ‘one and done’, but it seems like there’s more to be said about their relationship. Am I reading something that isn’t there?”

There was a pause. “I hadn’t considered it, but…when you put it like that, I can see how they might…” Lucy cleared her throat. “Wow, I had no idea that was in there, but you’re right. Aw, now I want to do a series of short stories! If I get this distracted, I’ll never finish my novel.”

“Writing a little romance sounds fun. Well, I know I’d enjoy reading it.”

Their voices were getting fainter, and he had to concentrate harder to catch Lucy’s last words. “I, uh, well, I’ve thought about writing more _involved_ romance in the future.”

“Wow, that’s going well,” Natsu said.

Happy came to hover beside them. “What’s going well?”

“Juvia is cheering Lucy up after the aborted ambush housewarming party,” Gray said. Natsu had unintentionally relayed the gist of their conversation to him.

“Well, if you’re going to get all lovey-dovey, I’ll be in my room.” Gray noticed that Happy liked announcing that he’d be in his room. The novelty of having a room all his own hadn’t worn off.

The little cat left, and Gray started getting the food put away. When he closed the fridge door on the last of it, he found himself pressed face-first against that door, gently pinned by a horny Dragonslayer. Even through layers of clothes (although he noticed his pants were missing), that erection felt so hot rubbing against his ass. He may have only taken Natsu once, but it had also been too long since he’d had Natsu take him.

“You can’t call me a dragon and threaten to kill people to protect me when I can’t have you. I’m not allowed to press inside and fuck you until you’re begging me; I can’t suck you down and quench my thirst for your cold. It isn’t _fair_ , Gray.” Yes, they wanted to show their love for each other. But they also had _needs_ to express to each other.

Teeth sunk into the Ice Mage’s mark, and he gasped as he was suddenly way too hard. ‘Do you want to? Fuck, Natsu, I’d let you take me right here. Pressed against the fridge, forced to stay silent or risk Happy coming to see what’s going on.’

That pleased low rumble emerged from his Mate again: a dragon purr. ‘If I take you, you won’t be _that_ quiet, no matter how hard you try. You love getting fucked by me.’

‘I do. I love _you_ , Natsu. Every bit of you, more than anything in the world.’ Nothing else mattered as much as this man.

A hot tear slid down his shoulder, alarming him. “Natsu?”

“You’re mean, Gray. I’m trying to be good and you’re teasing me and being the perfect Mate.” It was so hard to hold back that it hurt. Gray was perfect, Gray was his, but he couldn’t express these things physically. Couldn’t give his Mate every drop of pleasure he was capable of.

Gray slid a hand into the pink hair, encouraging Natsu to take in his scent. He knew it would calm him. ‘It’s not a tease, Natsu; I’ll let you do whatever you want to me.’

‘I injured you. I’m not hurting you anymore. It was bad enough I nearly attacked you earlier. Please stop tempting me.’ Natsu was far from a saint, and he was proving to be a worse Mate than he thought.

The Dragonslayer’s full attention wasn’t on pinning him, and he hadn’t been that forceful to begin with; it was easy to turn the tables until Natsu’s back was pressed against the fridge door. ‘You’re my perfect Mate too, Natsu. Our perfection isn’t about lacking flaws, it’s about how we fit: perfectly. We’re made for each other. And if you don’t want to take me right here, I guess I’ll have to take you.’

He lowered himself to his knees, careful not to jar his hip, and freed Natsu from his pants. His Mate’s whole body tensed as he started licking and sucking, enjoying how the Dragonslayer put a hand over his mouth.

‘Gray! Happy is in the house!’

Smiling around a mouthful of Natsu, Gray thought, ‘Guess you’d better stay quiet then. Besides, you’re so wound up. This won’t take that long. Especially like this. You want to be considerate and not let Happy see us, but you also love the risk that he might. This isn’t an alley where strangers might see us, at least.’

‘I think I’d prefer that!’

‘You realize that’s going on the agenda for tomorrow now, right?’ His Mate was too easy. All that tan muscle was already so tense, so close, and he could sense the panicked pleasure that made Natsu desperate. ‘If you want to keep from getting caught, just stay quiet and cum, like a good boy.’

There was an explosion and muffled yells as Natsu spilled lava into Gray’s mouth. It almost stung, but that razor edge between pleasure and almost pain made Gray harder. He drank down everything Natsu gave him, loving that warmth inside him.

‘I thought we were over volcano metaphors.’ Natsu was panting, looking dazed. Gray could also tell he was listening to be sure Happy hadn’t heard.

‘We are, but there is no better comparison for your cum than lava,’ Gray thought.

‘Now you’re _still_ hard and I’m _still_ not allowed to do anything about it!’

The Ice Mage licked at his Mate a few times before tucking him back into his pants. ‘But now you aren’t also desperately aroused. You can think more clearly now, can’t you?’

‘Can’t really think at all. God, it was just last night, but it feels like ages since I’ve cum.’

‘Insatiable.’ Gray laughed a little. ‘Let’s take a bath and cuddle up before bed.’

“I don’t think I say it enough, but I love you, Gray. You’re perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope this was worth the wait. And thanks to QueerQuaking for giving the idea of the Juvia confrontation/resolution.
> 
> As always, I’d love to hear what you think. Makes meh happeh and motivates me. But, review or not, I hope you loved this.

**Author's Note:**

> So, hopefully this was to your liking. Like I said earlier, I’m only up to what’s happened in Netflix, but I’ve gotten in on some spoilers via fanfiction. And, when I looked up Gajeel’s dragon’s name to make sure I was spelling it right, it said that he forgot his time with him or something. But, in this fic, he got the “Dragons and the Bees” speech, because someone needs to have a fucking clue what’s going to happen.
> 
> Hope none of this is OOC, or at least not dramatically so. With Gray and Natsu Mated, they’re a lot more easy-going and happy. Gajeel is just plain fun to write like this, so I hope you like him. Big bad-ass metal man getting flustered and embarrassed is too cute!
> 
> I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially my reviewers from In Hot Water; you’ve been with me longest, so I really value your opinions. Review or not, I hope this made you happy!


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